Judge Cancels Town’s Election-Law Vote

A federal judge halted a referendum on a change in election law in suburban Cicero, Ill., after the Justice Department argued the measure was designed to keep Latino candidates off the ballot. The town established a pattern of discrimination against Latinos as its Latino population grew to 60% or more, said Michael Zwibelman, a Justice Department attorney. “They threaten the political power of the non-Hispanic officials of the town of Cicero,” Zwibelman said in urging U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle to order the halt to the referendum. The referendum involves a proposal to extend the residency requirement for candidates for town president from one year to 18 months. Federal officials claimed the plan was crafted to keep Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno and another Latino candidate off next year’s ballot for town president.