Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Illinois
 in Illinois |
This article does not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
|
|
 |
| Ballot access for major and minor party candidates |
|---|
| Ballot access for presidential candidates |
| Select a state below to learn more about ballot access requirements for candidates in that state. |
|
|
| Ballot access requirements for political parties in the United States |
| List of political parties in the United States |
| Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker |
Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
|
In order to get on the ballot in Illinois, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Illinois. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Year-specific dates
2016
- See also: Illinois elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Illinois in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| November 30, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for established party candidates | |
| January 14, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for write-in candidates for the primary election | |
| January 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | December quarterly report due | |
| March 15, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| April 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | March quarterly report due | |
| June 27, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for new political party candidates and independent candidates | |
| July 15, 2016 | Campaign finance | June quarterly report due | |
| September 8, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for write-in candidates for the general election | |
| October 17, 2016 | Campaign finance | September quarterly report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| January 17, 2017 | Campaign finance | December quarterly report due | |
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar 2016," accessed August 7, 2015 | |||
2015
- See also: Illinois elections, 2015
There were no regularly scheduled state executive, state legislative or congressional elections in Illinois in 2015. The state was scheduled to conduct municipal and school board elections.
2014
To view historical information for 2014, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7 of the Illinois Statutes
In Illinois, a candidate may run with an established political party, with a new party, as an independent candidate, or as a write-in candidate. Candidate qualification processes are detailed below.[1]
Political party candidates and independent candidates
Established political party candidates, new party candidates, and independent candidates must file nomination papers with the Illinois State Board of Elections in order to qualify for placement on the ballot. These nomination papers must be filed during the designated filing period. The filing period for established party candidates begins 127 days before the primary election and ends 120 days before the primary election. New party and independent candidates have a separate filing period. Their filing period begins 141 days before the general election and ends 134 days before the general election.[3][1]
Nomination papers include the following:[1]
- The statement of candidacy must indicate the candidate's address, the office being sought, and the candidate's political party designation (if applicable). This form also includes a statement affirming that the candidate is qualified for the office being sought. This form must be signed by the candidate and notarized.[4]
- The original statement of economic interests must be filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, which will then issue the receipt of the statement of economic interests for the candidate to file with the Illinois State Board of Elections. This form is not required from candidates seeking federal office. It is suggested that this form be filed at the same time as all other nomination papers, but it may be filed after the other papers as long as it is filed within the candidate filing period.[1]
- The loyalty oath form is optional. If a candidate chooses to sign it, he or she must affirm that he or she is not affiliated directly or indirectly with any organization that seeks to overthrow the government of the United States or the state of Illinois.[1]
- A petition containing the signatures of qualified electors. A candidate can begin circulating petitions 90 days before the last day of the filing period. Signature requirements for petitions vary according to the candidate's political party affiliation and the office being sought. Signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[1][5][1]
| Petition signature requirements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Established party candidates | New party candidates | Independent candidates[6] |
| Statewide office (e.g., governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller, treasurer) | 5,000 (no more than 10,000) primary voters belonging to the candidate's party | 1% of the number of voters who voted in the most recent general election or 25,000, whichever is less | 1% of the number of voters who voted in the most recent general election or 25,000, whichever is less |
| United States Representative | 0.5% of primary voters in the district belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
| State senator | 1,000 (no more than 3,000) district voters belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
| State representative | 500 (no more than 1,500) district voters belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
Any objections to nomination papers must be filed no later than five business days after the filing deadline.[1]
Write-in candidates
Write-in votes will not be counted unless the candidate files a declaration of intent no later than 61 days before the election in which he or she is running. This form must indicate the office being sought by the candidate.[1][7]
Petition requirements
See statutes: Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7 of the Illinois Statutes
In some cases, political parties and/or candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain ballot access. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Illinois.
Format requirements
In Illinois, established party candidates, new party candidates, and independent candidates must all file petitions to access the ballot, though signature requirements for those petitions vary depending on the office being sought and the candidate's political party affiliation. Petitions cannot be circulated until the 90th day before the last day of the candidate's filing period. The circulator's statement on the petition must indicate that the petition was not circulated until after that date.[8][9]
Petition signature sheets must be of uniform size, numbered consecutively and bound together in book form with one edge secured. The header of each page of the petition should contain the same information.[8][9]
Signature requirements
A petition signer must be a registered voter eligible to vote for the candidate whose petition he or she signs. A signer may sign the petitions of one established political party for the primary election and one new political party or independent petition for the subsequent general election. When signing, an individual must include his or her residence address.[8]
Circulation requirements
Petition circulators must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old. An individual may not circulate petitions for more than one political party, established or new, or for more than one independent candidate.[8] On April 21, 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled, in Elam v. Municipal Officers Electoral Board for Village of Riverdale, that a circulator cannot circulate petitions for both a primary candidate and an unaffiliated general election candidate during the same year.[10]
The circulator must personally witness the signing of all signatures and sign the circulator's statement on the petition attesting to that. The circulator's statement must also include the circulator's address, age, and citizenship information. The statement must be sworn to and signed before an officer authorized to administer oaths in Illinois.[8][9]
Campaign finance
See statutes: Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9 of the Illinois Statutes
The campaign finance reporting process for candidates seeking state office in Illinois is outlined below. Candidates seeking federal office must file with the Federal Election Commission. Reporting details for federal candidates are not included in this section.
Candidate political committees
A candidate who plans to spend over $5,000 for his or her campaign, even if using only personal funds, must form a candidate political committee and file campaign finance reports. A candidate may have only one candidate political committee per office he or she holds or seeks.[11][12]
Within 10 business days of forming a candidate political committee, the committee must file a Statement of Organization with the Illinois State Board of Elections, unless the committee is formed within 30 days of an election, in which case the Statement of Organization must be filed within two business days of the committee’s formation. If any information on the original Statement of Organization changes, an amendment must be filed notifying the Illinois State Board of Elections of the change within 10 days of implementing the change. The Statement of Organization must be signed, dated and verified by the candidate and must include:[13]
- the name, address and type of political committee (n this case, the candidate would designate a candidate political committee)
- the party affiliation and purpose of the committee
- the name and address of each officer of the committee, such as chairman and treasurer, and any others in charge of keeping financial accounts
- the name and address of any sponsoring entities (a sponsoring entity must contribute 33 percent of the committee’s total funds to be considered a sponsoring entity)
- a statement on how the committee plans to dispose of extra funds upon termination of the committee
- a list of all banks or financial institutions the committee will use
- the amount of funds available to the committee as of the filing date of the Statement of Organization
Reporting requirements
All candidates must file quarterly reports covering the four quarters of the year: January 1 through March 31, April 1 through June 30, July 1 through September 30 and October 1 through December 31. These reports are due on the 15th day of the month following the last month covered in the report.[14]
A quarterly report must be filed even if no financial transactions occurred during the time period covered by the report.[15]
Reports must be cumulative and must include:[16]
- the name and address of the candidate political committee
- the name of the person filing the report, if other than the chairman or treasurer
- the amount of funds on hand at the beginning of the reporting period
- the name and address of each person who contributed funds, including any rebates, refunds or income from investments, to the committee in an aggregate total of $150 or more, along with the amounts and dates of those contributions; if the contributions exceeded $500, the occupation and employers of the contributor must also be included
- the total sum of individual contributions of $150 or less
- the name and address of any political committee who transferred funds to or from the reporting committee in an aggregate total of over $150
- the total sum of individual transfers made under $150
- the names and addresses of each lender or endorser of loans over $150, along with the amount and date of each loan; if the loans exceeded $500, the occupation and employer of the lenders or endorsers must also be included
- the total proceeds from sales of tickets to events, collections at events and sales of political items such as buttons, pins or banners
- the total sum of all contributions.
- the name and address of each person to whom expenditures were made, including personal services and salaries, in excess of $150, along with the amount, date and purpose of the expenditure
- the value of each asset held as an investment as of the last day of the report
- the total sum of expenditures made
- the name and address of each person to whom the committee owes debts or obligations of $150 or more, along with the amount and date of those debts
- a statement, signed and dated by the candidate, verifying that the report has been reviewed by the candidate and that it is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief
A candidate may need to submit additional reports if contributions received or expenditures made exceed $1,000 during the 30 days before an election. If contributions of over $1,000 are received during that time, an electronic report must be filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections within two days of receipt. If expenditures of $1,000 or more are made during that time, an electronic report must be filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections within five days.[14][15]
Copies of all reports must be maintained by those responsible for filing them for a period of two years.[15]
Contribution limits
In addition to campaign finance reporting requirements, candidate political committees are subject to contribution limits. The table below details contribution limits per election cycle.[17]
| Contribution limit | Contributing entity |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | Any individual |
| $10,000 | Any corporation, labor organization or association |
| $50,000 | Any candidate political committee or political action committee |
Political party committees are exempt from contribution limits, except when candidates to whom they are contributing are running in a primary election. In that case, political party committees are subject to contribution limits based on the office sought by the candidate. These contribution limits are detailed in the table below.[17]
| Office sought | Contribution limit |
|---|---|
| State executive office | $200,000 |
| State Senator | $125,000 |
| Illinois House of Representatives | $75,000 |
- See also: State election agencies
Candidates running for office may require some form of interaction with the following agencies:
Illinois State Board of Elections
Why: This agency is the authority on all laws, information and procedures dealing with elections.
- Springfield Office:
- 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, IL 62704
- Telephone: 217-782-4141
- Fax: 217-782-5959
- 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, IL 62704
- Chicago Office:
- 100 W. Randolph, Suite 14-100, Chicago, IL 60601
- Telephone: 312-814-6440
- Fax: 312-814-6485
- 100 W. Randolph, Suite 14-100, Chicago, IL 60601
- Email: webmaster@elections.il.gov
- http://www.elections.state.il.us/
Illinois Secretary of State
Why: This agency provides and processes Statements of Economic Interests.
- Office of the Secretary of State
- Index Division
- 111 East Monroe
- Springfield, IL 62756
- Phone: 217-782-7017
Term limits
State executives
Illinois does not place term limits on state executive offices.
State legislators
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
Illinois does not place term limits on state legislators.
Congressional partisanship
Here is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional members from Illinois:
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 2 | 14 | 16 |
| Republican | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 17 | 19 |
State legislative partisanship
Here is the current partisan breakdown of members of the state legislature of Illinois:
State Senate
| As of February 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 40 | |
| Republican | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | |
State House
| As of February 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 78 | |
| Republican | 40 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 118 | |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Illinois ballot access. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Illinois elections, 2014
- Campaign finance requirements for Illinois ballot measures
- Illinois signature requirements
- State election agencies
- State executives with term limits
- States with gubernatorial term limits
- Illinois state executive official elections, 2014
- State legislatures with term limits
- List of United States Representatives from Illinois
- List of United States Senators from Illinois
External links
Official state and federal links
- Official Website of the Illinois State Board of Elections
- Official Website of the Federal Election Commission
- FEC 2014 Primary Election Dates and Candidate Filing Deadlines
- State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2014
- 2014 Election Schedule and Registration Deadlines
- State of Illinois Election and Campaign Finance Calendar
Forms
Additional reading
Other information
- Ballot Access News -- News updates and analysis of ballot access issues
- Politics1 -- Comprehensive guide to U.S. politics
- ThirdPartyPolitics.us -- Blog about American third party and independent politics
- RangeVoting.org -- Listing of notably restrictive ballot access requirements
- Center for Competitive Politics, "Election Law Handbook," Winter 2013
- National Voter Outreach -- Political consulting firm that specializes in organizing petition signature drives
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Illinois State Board of Elections, "State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2014," Updated November 26, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ilguide" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar 2014," Updated July 31, 2013
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 10, Section 12," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 10.1," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 10," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 10, Section 3," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 59," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Illinois State Board of Elections, "State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2025," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 10," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Illinois Supreme Court Construes Election Law to Ban Persons from Circulating for a Primary Candidate and a General Election Candidate in Same Year," April 21, 2021
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections Website, "Frequently Asked Questions about Campaign Disclosure," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9, Section 2," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9, Section 3," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar 2014," Updated July 31, 2013
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9, Section 10," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9, Section 11," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 9, Section 8.5," accessed March 27, 2014
| ||||||||||||||||
