Tuesday is the first day for candidates to collect signatures to get on the ballot for Chicago’s upcoming elections. In the race for mayor, it’s still unclear whether the biggest player plans to run. The big question mark leading up to the Feb. 2 elections is whether Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will run for a sixth full term in office.
Daley’s wife is fighting cancer. But the mayor hasn’t yet announced his intentions.
Candidates who have include Chicago civil rights lawyer Christopher Cooper; former gubernatorial candidate William “Dock” Walls; Jay Stone, the son of a long-time alderman; and Frederick White.
City Council members and candidates for city-wide offices have three months to file signatures to get on the ballot. Candidates for mayor, treasurer and city clerk must collect 12,500 signatures, while the number of signatures required for would-be alderman depends upon the ward.
But just because they’re gathering doesn’t mean they’re on the ballot. Candidates will still have to turn the petitions in by the Nov. 22 deadline, and perhaps survive challenges to their validity.
Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.