State of Illinois 2021 CANDIDATE’S GUIDE Issued by the Illinois State Board of Elections Issued: July 2020 PREFACE THE 2021 CANDIDATE’S GUIDE (1) Whether a signed Statement of Candidacy has been This Candidate’s Guide for 2021 has been prepared to filed and (2) whether the filed nominating sheets provide information for candidates seeking office at the contain gross signatures equal to or exceeding 10% of local level in 2021. It includes a listing of the offices to the minimum number of signatures required for the be nominated or elected, filing dates, general office sought. requirements for filing, and specific requirements for individual offices. In addition, information is provided All candidates whose petitions fail the apparent regarding nomination procedures and the objection conformity review will be notified in writing and given process, as well as a section that provides answers to the opportunity to appear before the State Board of some of the more frequently asked questions about Elections at its first meeting held to call petition nominating petitions and procedures. objection cases before a determination is made to reject the candidate’s petition on the basis of non- All citations contained herein refer to the Illinois conformity. Election Code (10 ILCS 5/1-1 et seq., as amended) or as otherwise indicated. This guide may be amended to SBE employees are not available during filing periods to include new legislation and court decisions as they notarize documents. arise. Please visit the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website (www.elections.il.gov) for any updates. OTHER PUBLICATIONS Legal information contained in this guide is not binding The State Board of Elections produces additional guides and should not be construed as legal advice or that can be helpful when preparing to run for office. sufficient argument in response to an objection to any The Election and Campaign Finance Calendar lists more candidate’s nominating papers. The State Board of specific dates and deadlines to follow, and the County Elections recommends that all prospective candidates Officials Book has relevant contact information for consult with competent legal counsel when preparing elected county officials. The Township Caucus Guide their nomination papers. includes information on nominating candidates at a Statutory deadlines for filing objections and for caucus. On our website under “Campaign Disclosure,” withdrawing from all but one incompatible office will you can also find information regarding campaign depend on the filing period. Specific deadline dates can finance disclosure and tutorials on the financial filing be found in the SBE Election and Campaign Finance process. Calendar for 2021 located under “Election Guides.” The CONTACT INFORMATION calendar, this guide, and filing date announcements can be found on the State Board of Elections’ website. Illinois State Board of Elections – Springfield Office Additional information may be obtained by contacting 2329 South MacArthur Boulevard your election authority (county clerk or board of Springfield, Illinois 62704 elections commissioners), your local election official Phone: (217) 782-4141 (municipal clerk, township clerk, road district clerk, park Fax: (217) 782-5959 district secretary, etc.), or the State Board of Elections. [email protected] www.elections.il.gov APPARENT CONFORMITY Illinois State Board of Elections – Chicago Office The State Board of Elections conducts an apparent James R. Thompson Center conformity review of all nominating petitions filed Suite 14-100 therewith. The review will take place after a petition is Chicago, Illinois 60601 filed and will be limited to determining the following: Phone: (312) 814-6440 Fax: (312) 814-6485 [email protected] www.elections.il.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS Glossary ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Offices to be Nominated ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Offices to be Elected .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Candidate Filing Periods .................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Types of Candidates .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Established Political Party Candidates – Nomination by Primary ..................................................................................................... 8 Established Political Party Candidates – Nomination by Caucus ...................................................................................................... 8 New Political Party Candidates ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Independent Candidates ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Nonpartisan Candidates .................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Write-In Candidates ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Candidate Checklist ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Filing for Office ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 General Filing Information .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Petition Preparation & Formatting ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Signing and Circulating Petitions ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Statement of Candidacy .................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Statement of Economic Interests Receipt ....................................................................................................................................... 21 Loyalty Oath .................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Campaign Contributions ................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Objections to Nominating Papers .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Lottery ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Offices to be Nominated/Elected: Commission Form – Municipal ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 Mayor-Alderman and President-Trustee Form – Municipal ........................................................................................................... 29 Council-Manager Form – Municipal ................................................................................................................................................ 32 City of Chicago ................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Township ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Road District .................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Park District ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Public Library District ...................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Library (Municipal – Township) ......................................................................................................................................................