Candidate Filing Period Ends Today at 5 p.m.

A new state law passed Nov. 29 by both houses of the General Assembly is 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.

Senate Bill 3338 amended 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.

City Elections

Those seeking to run for office must file at City Hall, 209 N. York St., by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Objections can be filed between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 during regular business hours. City Hall will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Terms for the following aldermen are up next year:

• 1st Ward, Paula Pezza
• 2nd Ward, Norman Leader
• 3rd Ward, Michael Bram
• 4th Ward, Kevin York
• 5th Ward, Chris Healy
• 6th Ward, Jim Kennedy
• 7th Ward, Patrick Wagner

The positions of mayor, city clerk and treasurer also are up for election.

All open city positions are for four-year terms.

District 205 School Board Elections

Three seats are up for election on the seven-member School Board:

• Jim Collins, president
• Susan DeRonne
• Maria Hirsch

School Board candidates' petitions must be filed at the administration office, 162 S. York St., no later than 5 p.m. Dec. 26. The District 205 Administration Office will be closed Jan. 1.

Friday, Jan. 4, is the last day to file an objection to a candidate's nominating papers in the office of the board secretary.

School Board members serve four-year terms. Candidates must be, on the date of the election, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years old, a registered voter, and a resident of the School District for at least one year.

For more information, contact Amy Huisel.

For more information about the nature and duties of serving on a school board, contact the Illinois Association of School Boards for a free booklet, “Your School Board and You.”

Park District Elections

Two seats will be up for election on the seven-member Elmhurst Park Board. Terms of the following Park Board members are expiring:

• Vince Spaeth
• Patricia Morissette-Moll

Park Board members serve six-year terms.

Candidates can file their petitions at the Park District Administration office at Wilder Park, 225 S. Prospect Ave., by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.

More information for Park District candidates can be found on the Illinois Association of Park District's 2013 Election Calendar.

More Information

Elections are nonpartisan and board candidates do not indicate a political party affiliation. Candidates should be aware of financial conflict-of-interest limitations set forth in state law.

Read the 2013 State of Illinois Candidate Guide here.

The 2013 Election and Campaign Finance Calender can be found here.