State Law Bumps Filing Date to December 6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The Cook County Clerk’s office issued an alert today to write-in candidates for the upcoming February 5, 2008 primary that the write-in deadline has changed to December 6, 2007. The new deadline reflects a change in state law. The previous deadline was the Tuesday before Election Day.
For write-in votes to officially count in Illinois, write-in candidates must file with the County Clerk’s office. Prospective write-in candidates in Illinois must file paperwork with the election authority in each jurisdiction where their name will appear on the ballot.
In suburban Cook County, write-in candidates must now submit their Write-in Candidate Declaration of Intent form at the Cook County Clerk’s downtown Chicago office (69 W. Washington St., Room 500) by December 6, 2007. There is an exception for candidates who file nomination papers and get removed by an electoral board; they may still file up to seven days before Election Day.
The Clerk’s office provides a list of eligible write-in candidates to each precinct on Election Day. This list enables election judges to determine which write-in candidates are running in their precinct. Only votes for eligible write-in candidates are counted. Voters can vote for a write-in candidate on an optical scan ballot or a touch-screen machine.