Candidates for governor and other state offices can begin filing nominating petitions for the 2010 election Oct. 26 at the Springfield office of the State Board of Elections.
The primary election is Feb. 2 – the earliest in Illinois history and first primary in the nation in 2010.
The Green Party, which became an established statewide political party by state law as the result of its gubernatorial candidate receiving more than five percent of the vote in 2006, joins the Republican and Democratic Parties in nominating candidates in the primary.
State offices up for election next year, in addition to governor, are lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. Also to be nominated are candidates for the U.S. Senate.
Other candidates filing for office at the State Board of Elections includes those seeking the office of Representatives in Congress, state senators, Representatives in the General Assembly, judges and multi-county Regional Superintendent of Schools.
Candidates for county office file in each of the state’s 102 counties.
Voters in the Green and Democratic parties on Feb. 2 also will elect state party officials – state central committeemen and committeewomen. (Republican state central committee members are chosen in a caucus.)
Statewide candidates of established political parties must file nominating petitions by Nov. 2 at the Springfield office of the State Board of Elections, 1020 S. Spring St.
The traditional deadline for registering to vote is Jan. 5. To meet the standards to register to vote, a person must: Be a citizen of the United States Be at least 18 years of age by Election Day Have been a resident of the precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.
An Illinois resident may now check to see if they are registered by going online at www.elections.il.gov, then clicking the “Voting and Elections” tab at the top of the page and then the “Am I Registered” link at the top left of the next page.
The new service is made available through the Illinois Voter Registration Service database, a requirement of the federal Help America Vote Act.
The State Board of Elections is an independent state agency charged with the responsibility of having general supervision over the administration of election laws of the State.
