HB2854 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 10527 HLH 50854 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB2854

Introduced 2/22/2011, by Rep. Jim Watson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/7-10	from Ch. 46, par. 7-10
10 ILCS 5/7-12	from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
10 ILCS 5/10-4	from Ch. 46, par. 10-4
10 ILCS 5/10-6.1	from Ch. 46, par. 10-6.1

Amends the Election Code. Provides that, in lieu of filing a petition for nomination, a candidate may pay a filing fee to the office of the State or local election official charged with accepting nomination petitions for that office. Provides that the fee shall be equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate is seeking nomination or $50 if the office is non-salaried.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 7-10, 7-12, 10-4, and 10-6.1 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/7-10) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-10)

Sec. 7-10. Form of petition for nomination. The name of no candidate for nomination, or State central committeeman, or township committeeman, or precinct committeeman, or ward committeeman or candidate for delegate or alternate delegate to national nominating conventions, shall be printed upon the primary ballot unless he or she pays a filing fee as provided in this Section or unless a petition for nomination has been filed in his behalf as provided in this Article in substantially the following form:

We, the undersigned, members of and affiliated with the .... party and qualified primary electors of the .... party, in the .... of ...., in the county of .... and State of Illinois, do hereby petition that the following named person or persons shall be a candidate or candidates of the .... party for the nomination for (or in case of committeemen for election to) the office or offices hereinafter specified, to be voted for at the primary election to be held on (insert date).

Name.................. Address.......................

State of Illinois) ) ss. County of........)

I, ...., do hereby certify that I reside at No. .... street, in the .... of ...., county of ...., and State of ....., that I am 18 years of age or older, that I am a citizen of the United States, and that the signatures on this sheet were signed in my presence, and are genuine, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the persons so signing were at the time of signing the petitions qualified voters of the .... party, and that their respective residences are correctly stated, as above set forth.

.........................

Subscribed and sworn to before me on (insert date).

.........................

Each sheet of the petition other than the statement of candidacy and candidate's statement shall be of uniform size and shall contain above the space for signatures an appropriate heading giving the information as to name of candidate or candidates, in whose behalf such petition is signed; the office, the political party represented and place of residence; and the heading of each sheet shall be the same.

Such petition shall be signed by qualified primary electors residing in the political division for which the nomination is sought in their own proper persons only and opposite the signature of each signer, his residence address shall be written or printed. The residence address required to be written or printed opposite each qualified primary elector's name shall include the street address or rural route number of the signer, as the case may be, as well as the signer's county, and city, village or town, and state. However the county or city, village or town, and state of residence of the electors may be printed on the petition forms where all of the electors signing the petition reside in the same county or city, village or town, and state. Standard abbreviations may be used in writing the residence address, including street number, if any. At the bottom of each sheet of such petition shall be added a circulator statement signed by a person 18 years of age or older who is a citizen of the United States, stating the street address or rural route number, as the case may be, as well as the county, city, village or town, and state; and certifying that the signatures on that sheet of the petition were signed in his or her presence and certifying that the signatures are genuine; and either (1) indicating the dates on which that sheet was circulated, or (2) indicating the first and last dates on which the sheet was circulated, or (3) certifying that none of the signatures on the sheet were signed more than 90 days preceding the last day for the filing of the petition and certifying that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief the persons so signing were at the time of signing the petitions qualified voters of the political party for which a nomination is sought. Such statement shall be sworn to before some officer authorized to administer oaths in this State.

No petition sheet shall be circulated more than 90 days preceding the last day provided in Section 7-12 for the filing of such petition.

The person circulating the petition, or the candidate on whose behalf the petition is circulated, may strike any signature from the petition, provided that:

(1) the person striking the signature shall initial the petition at the place where the signature is struck; and

(2) the person striking the signature shall sign a certification listing the page number and line number of each signature struck from the petition. Such certification shall be filed as a part of the petition.

Such sheets before being filed shall be neatly fastened together in book form, by placing the sheets in a pile and fastening them together at one edge in a secure and suitable manner, and the sheets shall then be numbered consecutively. The sheets shall not be fastened by pasting them together end to end, so as to form a continuous strip or roll. All petition sheets which are filed with the proper local election officials, election authorities or the State Board of Elections shall be the original sheets which have been signed by the voters and by the circulator thereof, and not photocopies or duplicates of such sheets. Each petition must include as a part thereof, a statement of candidacy for each of the candidates filing, or in whose behalf the petition is filed. This statement shall set out the address of such candidate, the office for which he is a candidate, shall state that the candidate is a qualified primary voter of the party to which the petition relates and is qualified for the office specified (in the case of a candidate for State's Attorney it shall state that the candidate is at the time of filing such statement a licensed attorney-at-law of this State), shall state that he has filed (or will file before the close of the petition filing period) a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, shall request that the candidate's name be placed upon the official ballot, and shall be subscribed and sworn to by such candidate before some officer authorized to take acknowledgment of deeds in the State and shall be in substantially the following form:

Statement of Candidacy

State of Illinois) ) ss. County of .......)

I, ...., being first duly sworn, say that I reside at .... Street in the city (or village) of ...., in the county of ...., State of Illinois; that I am a qualified voter therein and am a qualified primary voter of the .... party; that I am a candidate for nomination (for election in the case of committeeman and delegates and alternate delegates) to the office of .... to be voted upon at the primary election to be held on (insert date); that I am legally qualified (including being the holder of any license that may be an eligibility requirement for the office I seek the nomination for) to hold such office and that I have filed (or I will file before the close of the petition filing period) a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and I hereby request that my name be printed upon the official primary ballot for nomination for (or election to in the case of committeemen and delegates and alternate delegates) such office.

Signed ......................

Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me by ...., who is to me personally known, on (insert date).

Signed ....................

(Official Character)

(Seal, if officer has one.)

The petitions, when filed, shall not be withdrawn or added to, and no signatures shall be revoked except by revocation filed in writing with the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official with whom the petition is required to be filed, and before the filing of such petition. Whoever forges the name of a signer upon any petition required by this Article is deemed guilty of a forgery and on conviction thereof shall be punished accordingly.

A candidate for the offices listed in this Section must obtain the number of signatures specified in this Section on his or her petition for nomination.

(a) Statewide office or delegate to a national nominating convention. If a candidate seeks to run for statewide office or as a delegate or alternate delegate to a national nominating convention elected from the State at-large, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least 5,000 but not more than 10,000 signatures.

(b) Congressional office or congressional delegate to a national nominating convention. If a candidate seeks to run for United States Congress or as a congressional delegate or alternate congressional delegate to a national nominating convention elected from a congressional district, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified primary electors of his or her party in his or her congressional district. In the first primary election following a redistricting of congressional districts, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least 600 signatures of qualified primary electors of the candidate's political party in his or her congressional district.

(c) County office. If a candidate seeks to run for any countywide office, including but not limited to county board chairperson or county board member, elected on an at-large basis, in a county other than Cook County, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified electors of his or her party who cast votes at the last preceding general election in his or her county. If a candidate seeks to run for county board member elected from a county board district, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified primary electors of his or her party in the county board district. In the first primary election following a redistricting of county board districts or the initial establishment of county board districts, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified electors of his or her party in the entire county who cast votes at the last preceding general election divided by the total number of county board districts comprising the county board; provided that in no event shall the number of signatures be less than 25.

(d) County office; Cook County only.

(1) If a candidate seeks to run for countywide office in Cook County, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified electors of his or her party who cast votes at the last preceding general election in Cook County.

(2) If a candidate seeks to run for Cook County Board Commissioner, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified primary electors of his or her party in his or her county board district. In the first primary election following a redistricting of Cook County Board of Commissioners districts, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified electors of his or her party in the entire county who cast votes at the last preceding general election divided by the total number of county board districts comprising the county board; provided that in no event shall the number of signatures be less than 25.

(3) If a candidate seeks to run for Cook County Board of Review Commissioner, which is elected from a district pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 5-5 of the Property Tax Code, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the total number of registered voters in his or her board of review district in the last general election at which a commissioner was regularly scheduled to be elected from that board of review district. In no event shall the number of signatures required be greater than the requisite number for a candidate who seeks countywide office in Cook County under subsection (d)(1) of this Section. In the first primary election following a redistricting of Cook County Board of Review districts, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least 4,000 signatures or at least the number of signatures required for a countywide candidate in Cook County, whichever is less, of the qualified electors of his or her party in the district.

(e) Municipal or township office. If a candidate seeks to run for municipal or township office, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified primary electors of his or her party in the municipality or township. If a candidate seeks to run for alderman of a municipality, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the qualified primary electors of his or her party of the ward. In the first primary election following redistricting of aldermanic wards or trustee districts of a municipality or the initial establishment of wards or districts, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain the number of signatures equal to at least 0.5% of the total number of votes cast for the candidate of that political party who received the highest number of votes in the entire municipality at the last regular election at which an officer was regularly scheduled to be elected from the entire municipality, divided by the number of wards or districts. In no event shall the number of signatures be less than 25.

(f) State central committeeperson. If a candidate seeks to run for State central committeeperson, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least 100 signatures of the primary electors of his or her party of his or her congressional district.

(g) Sanitary district trustee. If a candidate seeks to run for trustee of a sanitary district in which trustees are not elected from wards, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the primary electors of his or her party from the sanitary district. If a candidate seeks to run for trustee of a sanitary district in which trustees are elected from wards, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the primary electors of his or her party in the ward of that sanitary district. In the first primary election following redistricting of sanitary districts elected from wards, a candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the signatures of 150 qualified primary electors of his or her ward of that sanitary district.

(h) Judicial office. If a candidate seeks to run for judicial office in a district, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain the number of signatures equal to 0.4% of the number of votes cast in that district for the candidate for his or her political party for the office of Governor at the last general election at which a Governor was elected, but in no event less than 500 signatures. If a candidate seeks to run for judicial office in a circuit or subcircuit, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain the number of signatures equal to 0.25% of the number of votes cast for the judicial candidate of his or her political party who received the highest number of votes at the last general election at which a judicial officer from the same circuit or subcircuit was regularly scheduled to be elected, but in no event less than 500 signatures.

(i) Precinct, ward, and township committeeperson. If a candidate seeks to run for precinct committeeperson, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least 10 signatures of the primary electors of his or her party for the precinct. If a candidate seeks to run for ward committeeperson, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain no less than the number of signatures equal to 10% of the primary electors of his or her party of the ward, but no more than 16% of those same electors; provided that the maximum number of signatures may be 50 more than the minimum number, whichever is greater. If a candidate seeks to run for township committeeperson, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain no less than the number of signatures equal to 5% of the primary electors of his or her party of the township, but no more than 8% of those same electors; provided that the maximum number of signatures may be 50 more than the minimum number, whichever is greater.

(j) State's attorney or regional superintendent of schools for multiple counties. If a candidate seeks to run for State's attorney or regional Superintendent of Schools who serves more than one county, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the primary electors of his or her party in the territory comprising the counties.

(k) Any other office. If a candidate seeks any other office, then the candidate's petition for nomination must contain at least the number of signatures equal to 0.5% of the registered voters of the political subdivision, district, or division for which the nomination is made or 25 signatures, whichever is greater.

For purposes of this Section the number of primary electors shall be determined by taking the total vote cast, in the applicable district, for the candidate for that political party who received the highest number of votes, statewide, at the last general election in the State at which electors for President of the United States were elected. For political subdivisions, the number of primary electors shall be determined by taking the total vote cast for the candidate for that political party who received the highest number of votes in the political subdivision at the last regular election at which an officer was regularly scheduled to be elected from that subdivision. For wards or districts of political subdivisions, the number of primary electors shall be determined by taking the total vote cast for the candidate for that political party who received the highest number of votes in the ward or district at the last regular election at which an officer was regularly scheduled to be elected from that ward or district.

A "qualified primary elector" of a party may not sign petitions for or be a candidate in the primary of more than one party.

The changes made to this Section of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly are declarative of existing law, except for item (3) of subsection (d).

Petitions of candidates for nomination for offices herein specified, to be filed with the same officer, may contain the names of 2 or more candidates of the same political party for the same or different offices. In the case of the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, a joint petition including one candidate for each of those offices must be filed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a candidate may choose, in lieu of filing a petition for nomination, to pay a filing fee to the office of the State or local election official charged with accepting nomination petitions for that office. The filing fee shall be equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate is seeking nomination. If the candidate is seeking nomination for a non-salaried office, then the filing fee shall be $50.

(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07; 95-916, eff. 8-26-08; 96-1018, eff. 1-1-11.)

(10 ILCS 5/7-12) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-12)

Sec. 7-12. All petitions for nomination shall be filed by mail or in person as follows:

(1) Where the nomination is to be made for a State, congressional, or judicial office, or for any office a nomination for which is made for a territorial division or district which comprises more than one county or is partly in one county and partly in another county or counties, then, except as otherwise provided in this Section, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 and not less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary, but, in the case of petitions for nomination to fill a vacancy by special election in the office of representative in Congress from this State, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 57 days and not less than 50 days prior to the date of the primary.

Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme, Appellate or Circuit Court Judge within the 3-week period preceding the 106th day before a general primary election, petitions for nomination for the office in which the vacancy has occurred shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 92 nor less than 85 days prior to the date of the general primary election.

Where the nomination is to be made for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, then such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 and not less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, however, that if the rules or policies of a national political party conflict with such requirements for filing petitions for nomination for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, the chairman of the State central committee of such national political party shall notify the Board in writing, citing by reference the rules or policies of the national political party in conflict, and in such case the Board shall direct such petitions to be filed not more than 83 and not less than 76 days prior to the date of the primary.

(2) Where the nomination is to be made for a county office or trustee of a sanitary district then such petition shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(3) Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal or township office, such petitions for nomination shall be filed in the office of the local election official, not more than 99 nor less than 92 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, where a municipality's or township's boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the election authority.

(4) The petitions of candidates for State central committeeman shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(5) Petitions of candidates for precinct, township or ward committeemen shall be filed or the fee described in Section 7-10 shall be paid in the office of the county clerk not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(6) The State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom such petitions for nominations are filed shall specify the place where filings shall be made and upon receipt shall endorse thereon the day and hour on which each petition was filed. All petitions filed by persons waiting in line as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for filing, or as of the normal opening hour of the office involved on such day, shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m. or the normal opening hour, as the case may be. Petitions filed by mail and received after midnight of the first day for filing and in the first mail delivery or pickup of that day shall be deemed as filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or as of the normal opening hour of such day, as the case may be. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in the order of actual receipt. Where 2 or more petitions are received simultaneously, the State Board of Elections or the various election authorities or local election officials with whom such petitions are filed shall break ties and determine the order of filing, by means of a lottery or other fair and impartial method of random selection approved by the State Board of Elections. Such lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following the last day for petition filing and shall be open to the public. Seven days written notice of the time and place of conducting such random selection shall be given by the State Board of Elections to the chairman of the State central committee of each established political party, and by each election authority or local election official, to the County Chairman of each established political party, and to each organization of citizens within the election jurisdiction which was entitled, under this Article, at the next preceding election, to have pollwatchers present on the day of election. The State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official shall post in a conspicuous, open and public place, at the entrance of the office, notice of the time and place of such lottery. The State Board of Elections shall adopt rules and regulations governing the procedures for the conduct of such lottery. All candidates shall be certified in the order in which their petitions have been filed. Where candidates have filed simultaneously, they shall be certified in the order determined by lot and prior to candidates who filed for the same office at a later time.

(7) The State Board of Elections or the appropriate election authority or local election official with whom such a petition for nomination is filed shall notify the person for whom a petition for nomination has been filed or a nomination fee described in Section 7-10 has been paid of the obligation to file statements of organization, reports of campaign contributions, and annual reports of campaign contributions and expenditures under Article 9 of this Act. Such notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.

(8) Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid if the candidate named therein fails to file a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act in relation to his candidacy with the appropriate officer by the end of the period for the filing of nomination papers unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in relation to the same governmental unit with that officer within a year preceding the date on which such nomination papers were filed. If the nomination papers of any candidate and the statement of economic interest of that candidate are not required to be filed with the same officer, the candidate must file with the officer with whom the nomination papers are filed a receipt from the officer with whom the statement of economic interests is filed showing the date on which such statement was filed. Such receipt shall be so filed not later than the last day on which nomination papers may be filed.

(9) Any person for whom a petition for nomination, or for committeeman or for delegate or alternate delegate to a national nominating convention has been filed may cause his name to be withdrawn by request in writing, signed by him and duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to take acknowledgments of deeds, and filed in the principal or permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections or with the appropriate election authority or local election official, not later than the date of certification of candidates for the consolidated primary or general primary ballot. No names so withdrawn shall be certified or printed on the primary ballot. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person with respect to more than one political party, his name shall not be certified nor printed on the primary ballot of any party. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person for 2 or more offices which are incompatible so that the same person could not serve in more than one of such offices if elected, that person must withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within the 5 business days following the last day for petition filing. If he fails to withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within such time his name shall not be certified, nor printed on the primary ballot, for any office. For the purpose of the foregoing provisions, an office in a political party is not incompatible with any other office.

(10)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary shall be held for an established political party in any township, municipality, or ward thereof, where the nomination of such party for every office to be voted upon by the electors of such township, municipality, or ward thereof, is uncontested. Whenever a political party's nomination of candidates is uncontested as to one or more, but not all, of the offices to be voted upon by the electors of a township, municipality, or ward thereof, then a primary shall be held for that party in such township, municipality, or ward thereof; provided that the primary ballot shall not include those offices within such township, municipality, or ward thereof, for which the nomination is uncontested. For purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to an office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such party for election to such office.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary election shall be held for an established political party for any special primary election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress where the nomination of such political party for said office is uncontested. For the purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to said office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such established party for election to said office. This subsection (b) shall not apply if such primary election is conducted on a regularly scheduled election day.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (a) and (b) of this paragraph (10), whenever a person who has not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends to become a write-in candidate for a political party's nomination for any office for which the nomination is uncontested files a written statement or notice of that intent with the State Board of Elections or the local election official with whom nomination papers for such office are filed, a primary ballot shall be prepared and a primary shall be held for that office. Such statement or notice shall be filed on or before the date established in this Article for certifying candidates for the primary ballot. Such statement or notice shall contain (i) the name and address of the person intending to become a write-in candidate, (ii) a statement that the person is a qualified primary elector of the political party from whom the nomination is sought, (iii) a statement that the person intends to become a write-in candidate for the party's nomination, and (iv) the office the person is seeking as a write-in candidate. An election authority shall have no duty to conduct a primary and prepare a primary ballot for any office for which the nomination is uncontested unless a statement or notice meeting the requirements of this Section is filed in a timely manner.

(11) If multiple sets of nomination papers are filed for a candidate to the same office, the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official where the petitions are filed shall within 2 business days notify the candidate of his or her multiple petition filings and that the candidate has 3 business days after receipt of the notice to notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official that he or she may cancel prior sets of petitions. If the candidate notifies the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official, the last set of petitions filed shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official. If the candidate fails to notify the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official then only the first set of petitions filed shall be valid and all subsequent petitions shall be void.

(12) All nominating petitions shall be available for public inspection and shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.

(Source: P.A. 96-1008, eff. 7-6-10.)

(10 ILCS 5/10-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-4)

Sec. 10-4. Form of petition for nomination. All petitions for nomination under this Article 10 for candidates for public office in this State, shall in addition to other requirements provided by law, be as follows: Such petitions shall consist of sheets of uniform size and each sheet shall contain, above the space for signature, an appropriate heading, giving the information as to name of candidate or candidates in whose behalf such petition is signed; the office; the party; place of residence; and such other information or wording as required to make same valid, and the heading of each sheet shall be the same. Such petition shall be signed by the qualified voters in their own proper persons only, and opposite the signature of each signer his residence address shall be written or printed. The residence address required to be written or printed opposite each qualified primary elector's name shall include the street address or rural route number of the signer, as the case may be, as well as the signer's county, and city, village or town, and state. However, the county or city, village or town, and state of residence of such electors may be printed on the petition forms where all of the such electors signing the petition reside in the same county or city, village or town, and state. Standard abbreviations may be used in writing the residence address, including street number, if any. No signature shall be valid or be counted in considering the validity or sufficiency of such petition unless the requirements of this Section are complied with. At the bottom of each sheet of such petition shall be added a circulator's statement, signed by a person 18 years of age or older who is a citizen of the United States; stating the street address or rural route number, as the case may be, as well as the county, city, village or town, and state; certifying that the signatures on that sheet of the petition were signed in his or her presence; certifying that the signatures are genuine; and either (1) indicating the dates on which that sheet was circulated, or (2) indicating the first and last dates on which the sheet was circulated, or (3) certifying that none of the signatures on the sheet were signed more than 90 days preceding the last day for the filing of the petition; and certifying that to the best of his knowledge and belief the persons so signing were at the time of signing the petition duly registered voters under Articles 4, 5 or 6 of the Code of the political subdivision or district for which the candidate or candidates shall be nominated, and certifying that their respective residences are correctly stated therein. Such statement shall be sworn to before some officer authorized to administer oaths in this State. No petition sheet shall be circulated more than 90 days preceding the last day provided in Section 10-6 for the filing of such petition. Such sheets, before being presented to the electoral board or filed with the proper officer of the electoral district or division of the state or municipality, as the case may be, shall be neatly fastened together in book form, by placing the sheets in a pile and fastening them together at one edge in a secure and suitable manner, and the sheets shall then be numbered consecutively. The sheets shall not be fastened by pasting them together end to end, so as to form a continuous strip or roll. All petition sheets which are filed with the proper local election officials, election authorities or the State Board of Elections shall be the original sheets which have been signed by the voters and by the circulator, and not photocopies or duplicates of such sheets. A petition, when presented or filed, shall not be withdrawn, altered, or added to, and no signature shall be revoked except by revocation in writing presented or filed with the officers or officer with whom the petition is required to be presented or filed, and before the presentment or filing of such petition. Whoever forges any name of a signer upon any petition shall be deemed guilty of a forgery, and on conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly. The word "petition" or "petition for nomination", as used herein, shall mean what is sometimes known as nomination papers, in distinction to what is known as a certificate of nomination. The words "political division for which the candidate is nominated", or its equivalent, shall mean the largest political division in which all qualified voters may vote upon such candidate or candidates, as the state in the case of state officers; the township in the case of township officers et cetera. Provided, further, that no person shall circulate or certify petitions for candidates of more than one political party, or for an independent candidate or candidates in addition to one political party, to be voted upon at the next primary or general election, or for such candidates and parties with respect to the same political subdivision at the next consolidated election.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a candidate may choose, in lieu of filing a petition for nomination, to pay a filing fee to the office of the State or local election official charged with accepting nomination petitions for that office. The filing fee shall be equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate is seeking nomination. If the candidate is seeking nomination for a non-salaried office, then the filing fee shall be $50.

(Source: P.A. 91-57, eff. 6-30-99; 92-129, eff. 7-20-01.)

(10 ILCS 5/10-6.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-6.1)

Sec. 10-6.1. The board or clerk with whom a certificate of nomination or nomination papers are filed shall notify the person for whom such papers are filed or for whom a nomination fee described in Section 10-4 is paid of the obligation to file statements of organization, reports of campaign contributions, and annual reports of campaign contributions and expenditures under Article 9 of this Act. Such notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 81-1189.)