About to sign a candidate's petition?

If (when!) you are asked to sign a candidate's petition for an upcoming election, it's probably a good idea to know the rules in Illinois. Understand that your signature is a valuable commodity. Use it wisely.

If you are asked (and do) to sign a candidate's petition, say a candidate who is running as a Republican, then you cannot sign a petition for a person who is running as a Democrat (or Green or any other party) for any other elected office. Although you don't register in Illinois as a member of one party or another, your right to sign a petition is restricted by Illinois election laws.

Got questions? Call the County Clerk's office. In McHenry County, that's 815.334.4242.

I recall a person who wanted to sign my petition as the Green Party candidate for Sheriff of McHenry County in the 2010 election, but someone had already "pressured" her to sign a Republican's petition. She could not sign my petition, even though it was for a different elected office.

Screwy? Well, remember; this is Illinois!

Illinois laws wouldn't have been a problem for my dad, had we lived on the east side of the Mississippi River (we lived in Missouri). He said he would always vote for the best man - as long as he was a Republican.