State Extends Local Elections Filing Deadline to 5 P.M. Dec. 26

Merry Christmas, candidates in local elections: You have an extra day to get your name on the April 2013 ballot.

A new state law, passed Nov. 29 by both houses of the General Assembly, is also good news to municipal clerks, school board secretaries, township clerks, park district and library secretaries and other local election officials who were previously required to accept candidate petitions until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, regardless of whether their respective governmental offices were open.

The law is effective immediately.

Senate Bill 3338 amends Section 1-4 of the Election Code to specify that, for the 2013 consolidated election period, local election officials have until 5 p.m. Dec. 26 to accept candidates' petitions or certificates of nomination.

The law does not require governments to be open all day on Dec. 26, but they are required to remain open for at least some time period until 5 p.m. Under this law, public bodies have no discretion to refuse to accept petitions on Dec. 26. 

The consolidated election will be held April 9, 2013.

Locally, positions are up for election on the Downers Grove Village Council, Downers Grove Park District Board, and the school boards for Community High School District 99 and Downers Grove Grade School District 58.

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 to run for Downers Grove Council before the filing deadline expired Nov. 26: incumbents Bob Barnett and Marilyn Schnell, and newcomers David S. Olsen, Susan Walaszek, Greg Hosé and Donald Jankowski.

READ: Two More File for Downers Grove Village Council; Field Widens to Six

The four-year terms for commissioners William Waldack, Barnett and Schnell all expire in May 2013. Waldack is not seeking re-election.

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.

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