Politics & Government

Petition Filing Begins Monday for Downers Grove Elections

In the consolidated election on April 9, 2013, voters will elect individuals to several Downers Grove municipal boards, including the school districts 58 and 99 and the park district.

Monday marks the first day for candidates to file petitions for election to Downers Grove municipal boards—with the exception of the village council.

Positions are up for election on the Downers Grove Park District Board and the school boards for Community High School District 99 and Downers Grove Grade School District 58.

Candidates’ names will appear on the election ballot in the order in which their nominating papers are received. If simultaneous filings occur, lotteries will be held to determine ballot positions.

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Deadlines for filing petitions, objections have changed due to the holidays

Originally, the last filing date for candidates in the April 9 municipal election was Dec. 24. But thanks to an amendment to the Illinois Election Code recently signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, those candidates won’t have to rush during the holidays to get their nominating petitions in – and municipal clerks won’t have to work until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve to accept the petitions. Now, the last day to file petitions is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

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The state’s date change also moves back the time period for filing objections to nominating petitions. Objectors will now have five business days from Dec. 26 to file their objections. Per election code, a business day is designated as any day an office is open to the public for at least seven hours for accepting objections. For municipal offices that will be closed on New Year’s Eve or not open for at least seven hours, the fifth business day following Dec. 26 is Jan. 4, 2013.

Two positions are up for grabs on the Downers Grove Park District Board. The four-year terms of Janet Barr and Matt Cushing will expire next year.

The park district building, located at 2455 Warrenville Road, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, through Friday, Dec. 21, and will remain open from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26, for the purpose of accepting candidate petitions

Four seats on the seven-member District 99 school board will be filled during the April 9 election. Candidates elected will serve four-year terms expiring April, 2017. 

READ: District 99 Board of Education Election Materials Now Available

Incumbent members whose terms will end are Julia Beckman, Deborah Boyle, Terry Pavesich and Bill White.

A school board candidate’s petition must be filed at the Administrative Service Center, 6301 Springside Ave., no earlier than 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, and no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26. The building will only be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 26.

Four seats are also up for election in District 58. Incumbent members whose terms expire in 2013 are John Cooper, Roberta Diehl, Steve Funk, and Sallie Lupescu. 

Petitions will be accepted by the District 58 board secretary during regular business hours Dec. 17-24 at the district office building, 1860 63rd St. The building will be open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 26.

Due to Downers Grove's council-manager form of government, the village council's filing dates do not coincide with other local races. Six people filed for the three open positions before thedeadlin e expired Nov. 26: incumbents Bob Barnett and Marilyn Schnell, and newcomers David S. Olsen, Susan Walaszek, Greg Hosé and Donald Jankowski.

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