What does it mean to be a resident of a city?

[January 27, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- If Abraham Lincoln had served out his second term in the White House, could he have returned to Illinois to run for mayor of his hometown?

The answer might be no, because Lincoln would not have lived in Springfield for a full year. The same issue hangs over Rahm Emanuel's run for Chicago mayor. And it's raising tough questions about how old residency rules should be interpreted in an era when Americans are so mobile.

An appellate court in Illinois departed this week from most previous interpretations of election law when it threw Emanuel off the ballot. The court said Emanuel needed to be physically present in Chicago for at least a year prior to the election, regardless of why he left or whether he intended to return.

Emanuel has appealed to the state Supreme Court.

[Associated Press; By DON BABWIN]

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