Will County Candidates Begin Filing Nominating Petitions March 7

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry reminds local candidates who wish to appear on the ballot for the 2022 General Primary Election that they may file their nominating petitions beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m., on Monday, March 7, at the Will County Clerk’s Office, 302 N. Chicago Street in downtown Joliet.

The County Clerk’s Office will accept nominating petitions for filing during normal weekday business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between March 7 and 11. Petitions also may be filed on Monday, March 14. The period for filing petitions will close promptly at 5 p.m. on that day.

The Will County Clerk’s Office will accept petitions from candidates running for Sheriff, County Clerk, Treasurer, and Regional Superintendent of Schools, as well as those seeking County Board seats in the newly drawn County Board Districts.

The Clerk’s Office also will accept petitions from those running for Precinct Committeeperson. All other candidates for state or federal offices must file their petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

March 7 – First Day of Filing: The doors to the Will County Office Building will open at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, March 7, to allow candidates to line up outside the Will County Clerk’s Office. Filing will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m., which is the start of the business day.

If multiple candidates for the same office are in line at 8:30 a.m., they will be included in a lottery to determine whose name will be placed at the top of the ballot for their contest. The lottery will be conducted at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22, in the Will County Board Room, 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet.

Staff notaries will be available to notarize petitions prior to filing or during the filing process. Staff also will be available to accept required Statements of Economic Interest.

Statements of Economic Interest: Current County Board Members must file Statements of Economic Interest with the Will County Clerk’s Office in relation to the districts they currently represent. They also must file a second Statement of Economic Interest if they are filing nominating petitions to run in a new district following the redrawing of the County Board Districts.

New candidates must file a Statement of Economic Interest only for the newly drawn district in which they are running.

For more information on Statements of Economic Interest, visit willcountyclerk.gov, click on Elections and Candidate Services.

Filing Petitions by Mail: Nominating petitions may also be mailed to 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432. Petitions received in the mail before March 7 will not be accepted. In addition, petitions sent by mail will not be accepted if they arrive at the Will County Clerk’s Office after 5 p.m. on March 14.

Apparent Conformity Policy: In 2022, at the recommendation of the Illinois State Board of Elections, the Will County Clerk’s Office has developed a policy that sets a uniform standard to determine whether nominating petitions are in “apparent conformity,” as stated in the Illinois Election Code (10 ILCS 5/10-8).

The intent of the Will County Clerk’s Office is to accept and certify all candidate nominating petitions that are in “apparent conformity.” In making that determination, the Will County Clerk’s Office staff will conduct a limited review of the petitions to determine whether a Statement of Candidacy is being filed and whether the nominating sheets contain at least 10 percent of the minimum number of signatures required for the office sought. Staff will not verify the validity of any signatures.

Nominating petitions that do not meet these two basic criteria will not be accepted. Candidates will be informed at the time of filing if their petitions are not in “apparent conformity.” Candidates will have until the close of the filing period to file petitions that are in “apparent conformity.”

The Apparent Conformity Policy is posted online at willcountyclerk.gov. Click on Elections and Candidate Services. For more information about petition filing for the General Primary Election, visit the Will County Clerk’s website at willcountyclerk.gov.

Building Security, Public Health Safety Measures: Candidates planning to file on Monday should allow time to pass through a security checkpoint that includes metal detectors and bag scanners at the Will County Office Building. The security checkpoint at the entrance is a relatively new addition to the remodeled office building.

Under new state and county guidelines, the wearing of protective face coverings is optional.