The Illinois State Board of Elections will decide next week whether it should follow a hearing officer’s recommendation and reject state Senate President Don Harmon’s appeal of a nearly $10 million fine for accepting campaign contributions in excess of state campaign finance limits.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that could decide whether political candidates have the right to challenge Illinois’ vote-by-mail law in court.

The Supreme Court appeared poised Wednesday to pave the way for a floodgate of lawsuits challenging certain state election laws to proceed — before those elections take place.

— APPOINTED: Margaret DeLaRosa has been appointed state representative in the 42nd District, filling the seat held by Terra Costa Howard, who is becoming a circuit court judge. DeLaRosa lives in Glen Ellyn, has served on the Glenbard Township District 87 School Board since 2015 and is former president of the Glen Ellyn League of Women Voters.

Daley and LaHood’s group, Fair Maps Illinois, is beginning the process of gathering the signatures necessary to put a referendum on the ballot, and that’s no small feat. They’ll need about 400,000 folks to sign their petition by May, a process they estimate will take as much as $4 million to accomplish.

Majority of Supreme Court signaled that it would allow candidates for federal office to challenge state elections laws without having to prove harm.