The list of candidates seeking office from Illinois has been shortened slightly through the elimination of a few candidates for president and U.S. Senate as a result of action by the State Board of Elections to certify the Nov. 8 ballot.



The board on Friday formally removed from the presidential balloting Emidio Soltysik of Los Angeles, who was running as the Socialist Party USA candidate, and his running mate, Angela Nicole Harner.



Also dropped from the ballot was Constitution Party presidential candidate Frank Fluckiger of Layton, Utah, as well as Mary Vann, running as the Human Rights Party candidate for the White House. Vann's candidacy included the notation that she was "formerly known as Mary Metcalf until name changed on Oct. 1, 2012."



As for the voting for president, there will be other choices on the ballot besides Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Also qualifying were Libertarian Gary Johnson and Jill Stein from the Green Party.



The elections board also removed two U.S. Senate candidates: the Constitution Party's Chad Koppie of Gilberts, a perennial contender for public office, and independent Eric Conklin of LeRoy.



Along with Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, the ballot will include Green Party candidate Scott Summers of Harvard and Libertarian Kenton McMillen of Melrose Park.



Candidates are often removed over failure to file enough signatures or other irregularities with their candidacy petitions. Michael Bigger of Downstate Wyoming, a member of the Republican State Central Committee, filed challenges to the candidacy of Conklin and the Constitution Party candidates for president and senator. (Rick Pearson)