Candidates seeking local elected office in Illinois ahead of the 2027 Consolidated Election are currently in the midst of obtaining signatures in support of their petitions. Illinois requires that petition signature sheets must be original, be all of one uniform size, and numbered consecutively. Signers are only permitted to sign their own signature on a petition. This means that a signer cannot sign a candidate’s petition on behalf of other members of their family or household. Any individual signing an election petition must be registered to vote in the political subdivision for which the candidate is seeking office and list their registered address on the petition.

Candidates must be aware of common pitfalls relating to petition signatures which may give rise to challenges from objectors. One critical distinction is that signatures must be signed rather than simply printed on the signature sheet. Further, addresses of signers must be legible so that they can be verified to ensure the signer lives within the boundaries of the applicable political subdivision, and that they are registered to vote at that same address. Finally, the signature on the nominating petition must match the signature of that persons’ voter registration.

Don’t let these avoidable issues derail your hopes of serving your community through elected office. Tressler LLP’s Government Practice group is well versed in Election Law and the challenges that often arise in this area. Please contact Megan M. Olson at molson@tresslerllp.com for more information.

About the Author

Megan M. Olson focuses her practice on serving cities, villages, townships, library districts, road districts, park districts, and other local government entities. In addition to providing general counsel, she provides guidance on establishing and drafting new ordinances and policies, contract negotiations, building and code enforcement, administrative proceedings, Freedom of Information Act compliance, and intergovernmental agreements. Megan also has experience in eminent domain, land use, development, and public water supply matters. Click here to read Megan’s full attorney bio.