How to Run for Office in Illinois
Getting on the Ballot
Illinois candidates file nomination papers: a statement of candidacy, petition sheets with the required signatures, and a receipt showing you filed a Statement of Economic Interests. Statewide, legislative, and judicial candidates file with the State Board of Elections; county candidates file with the county clerk; and municipal, township, school, and other local candidates file with the local election official for their jurisdiction. Local offices are elected at the odd-year Consolidated Election, so most local campaigns run off-cycle from state races.
The Statement of Economic Interests is filed with the Secretary of State's Index Division (for state-filed candidates) or the county clerk (for local candidates) - and the receipt must accompany your nomination papers.
Illinois publishes an annual Candidate's Guide covering every office's signature requirements, forms, and procedures - the essential document for any Illinois campaign.
Where Local Candidates File
Depending on the office: the county clerk (county offices and many others), a board of election commissioners (in jurisdictions that have one, including Chicago), or the municipal or district clerk/secretary. Petition packets come from the same office. Campaign finance, however, is centralized: committees register and file disclosure reports with the State Board of Elections once contributions or expenditures exceed the statutory threshold ($5,000 in a 12-month period).
Worth Knowing
- Illinois has perhaps the nation's most aggressive petition objection practice - challenges over binding, page numbering, notarization, and signature validity are a standard campaign tactic. File clean, over-collect signatures, and consider an election-law attorney's review before filing.
- Ballot position matters and is worth planning for: candidates in line when filing opens on the first day are entered in a lottery for top ballot position - which is why you'll see people camped outside filing offices the night before.
- The optional "loyalty oath" on nomination paperwork is a Cold War holdover - courts held it unenforceable, and it's genuinely optional.
Official Illinois Resources
Filing deadlines, fees, and signature requirements change from cycle to cycle. Always confirm current details with the official sources below.
This page was last reviewed on August 4, 2026. Process details above are believed current as of that date; deadlines and fees should always be verified with your election office.