Rock Island Today

A Rock Island-area Republican is hoping to obtain enough signatures by next week's July 17 deadline to place a Second Amendment advisory question on the ballot in November's General Election.

In a statement to Rock Island Today, Russell G. Christ, campaign committee chairman supervising the petition drive, said the signature campaign amounts to "requesting that the question defending our Second Amendment rights" be place on the ballot.

"Time is short," Christ said. "We need 4,700 signatures by 17 July."

The yes/no advisory question, if it makes it onto the November ballot, will read: "Should the Illinois General Assembly protect a citizen's right to keep and bear arms as defined by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution?"

Rock Island County officials rejected a Second Amendment resolution in November.

Christ, who ran unsuccessfully for Rock Island County Clerk in 2018 against incumbent and current County Clerk Karen Kinney, lists his profession on his LinkedIn page as "retired."

Christ said he is urging Rock Island area residents to print out paper copies of the petition, then "knock on doors, take it to church or other locations where you can get signatures."

He said he also has been snail-mailing the petition for circulation.

"Please copy more and keep getting these signatures," he said.

Among other instructions, Christ said the petitions should be notarized and turned into Rock Island County GOP Headquarters.

Petitions also must be signed only by Rock Island County registered voters registered at their current address and in the presence of the petition circulator.

Petition circulators must be least age 18 by Election Day, a U.S. citizen and must personally witness all the petition signatures they're circulating. Petition circulators must also affirm and sign the required affidavit for all signatures on each petition page in the presence of a notary public, stating that all signatures were taken in the petition circulator's presence.

"This is very important at this specific time and I need your support," Christ said. "Thanks and be blessed today."