To run for a municipal office as an independent on the April 6, 2027 ballot, you circulate a petition signed by "not less than 5% nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the number of persons who voted at the last regular election" in your district (2027 Candidate's Guide p. 32; 10 ILCS 5/10-3), and file it with your city or village clerk between November 16 and 23, 2026. Circulation opened August 25, 2026. You appear on the ballot under the heading "Independent."
The rules for independents differ from party candidates in a few important ways: who can sign, who can circulate, and what happens if you withdraw. This guide walks through each step in order. It follows the 2027 Candidate's Guide and the Election Code, but those sources are not legal advice, so confirm your exact number and paperwork with your local election official.
For the full picture of running for a local office, see our guide on how to run for local office in Illinois.
Step 1: Confirm that the office allows independents
Independent candidacy on the April 6 track covers municipal offices. Offices such as mayor or village president, alderperson or trustee, clerk and treasurer can have independent candidates on the April 6 track, along with new-party candidates (Guide pp. 7, 11, 33).
School offices are different. ISBE answers the question directly: "May a candidate file as an independent for a school office? No. All candidates for school offices run on a 'nonpartisan' basis" (Guide p. 69). If you are running for school board, you file as a nonpartisan candidate, not as an independent.
One more rule: a partisan candidate defeated at the primary or caucus cannot then run as an independent or new-party candidate in that election (Guide p. 11; 10 ILCS 5/10-3).
Step 2: Work out your signature range
The formula is based on turnout at the last regular election in your district or subdivision, not on registered voters.
- Minimum: 5% of the persons who voted at the last regular election.
- Maximum: 8%, or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater.
ISBE's own example: if 1,000 people voted, you need 50 to 100 signatures (Guide p. 32). For a ward or district being used for the first time after redistricting, a special formula applies, and it is never less than 25 (Guide pp. 32 to 33).
Ask your city or village clerk for the turnout figure and your exact minimum. Do not guess, and do not go over the maximum.
Plan for margin
Objections can strike signatures that do not hold up. There is no rule about how many extra to collect, but many campaigns aim for 1.5 to 2 times the minimum as common practice. For independents, that margin has to fit under the 8% ceiling, so plan your target carefully. In ISBE's example, a target of 85 to 95 good signatures sits well above the 50 minimum and safely under the 100 maximum.
Step 3: Know who can sign
Signers must be registered voters in the political subdivision, registered at the address they write next to their signature (Guide pp. 21 to 22). Each signer must sign personally; nobody can sign for a spouse or another member of the household (Guide p. 21).
The independent-specific rule is about the office: "each voter may subscribe to one nomination for such office to be filled, and no more" (10 ILCS 5/10-3). A voter "may not, however, sign a petition of more than one independent or new political party candidate's petition for the same office" (Guide p. 65). For nonpartisan and independent candidates, "the number of seats to be elected is the number of petitions that a voter can sign" (Guide p. 21).
In practice: if a neighbor already signed another independent's petition for the same seat, their signature on yours is at risk. Ask before they sign.
A voter who signed an established party's petition for a primary may still sign an independent petition for the following consolidated or general election (Guide pp. 21, 65; 10 ILCS 5/10-3).
Step 4: Pick your circulators carefully
Circulators must be at least 18 (or turn 18 by the consolidated election) and U.S. citizens; they do not have to be registered voters or live in the district (Guide pp. 21, 66). They must personally witness every signature on their sheet, and only one person may circulate a given sheet (Guide pp. 21, 67). You can circulate your own petition.
The rule that catches independents: a circulator may not circulate for an established political party and also for an independent or new-party candidate, and may not circulate for an independent in addition to new-party candidates (Guide p. 21; 10 ILCS 5/10-4). A friend who is carrying sheets for a party's candidates this season should not carry yours.
Each sheet ends with a circulator's statement, sworn before a notary, certifying the circulator's address, age and citizenship, that the signatures were signed in their presence and are genuine, and the dates circulated (Guide p. 21; 10 ILCS 5/10-4). Petitions are signed in ink on the official form; there is no electronic option.
Step 5: Prepare the sheets the right way
- Fill in the heading (election, candidate, office and your residence) before the sheet goes out, and make it identical on every sheet (Guide p. 19).
- Use your name exactly as it will appear on your Statement of Candidacy (Guide pp. 19 to 20).
- Number the sheets consecutively and fasten them in book form; paperclips and clipboards are not secure fastening (Guide p. 19).
- File originals only, not photocopies (Guide p. 19).
- Watch the 90-day window: sheets may not be circulated more than 90 days before the last filing day (10 ILCS 5/10-4). For a November 23 deadline, that is why circulation began August 25.
If you or a circulator strike a signature before filing, initial the strike and file a certificate of deletions (SBE Form P-2A). Independents also file an additional certificate, P-2B (Guide pp. 22, 67).
Step 6: Keep your circulators and supporters moving by text
With about seven weeks between early October and the filing deadline, the hard part is coordination: who has sheets, which streets are covered, when the notary is available, and when sheets come back. This is where a texting tool does real work, as long as you text only people who have agreed to hear from you.
Set up a two-way inbox for your circulator team. In CampaignCNX+, you text your circulators and the supporters who have opted in, and replies come back to a shared inbox your campaign team works together, with team members added as admins, managers or staffers. Use it to schedule notary sessions, confirm which precinct each circulator is covering this weekend, and collect the "I have three full sheets" replies in one place. Quiet-hours scheduling keeps messages out of early mornings and late evenings, and STOP replies are handled automatically. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration for you.
Two cautions. First, a petition sheet does not give you permission to text the people who signed it, unless the sheet says so plainly and the date is recorded. Our post on building a supporter list you can text covers how to ask properly. Second, political texting on registered numbers requires Campaign Verify, which needs an EIN and a published election-authority filing; candidates with no committee are not eligible. If your campaign has not yet formed a committee, plan your timing around that: campaign texting through a registered number can start once your filing exists.
A first message to a new volunteer might read:
"Hi Pat, it's Jordan's campaign. Thanks for offering to circulate! Notary session Sat 10am at the library. Can you make it? Reply STOP to opt out"
Step 7: File between November 16 and 23
File with "the appropriate city or village clerk, or in those cities having a Board of Election Commissioners, with the clerk of that Board" (Guide p. 33). The packet includes:
- the notarized Statement of Candidacy, at the front;
- the petition sheets;
- the receipt for your Statement of Economic Interests, which must be filed by 5:00 p.m. (or close of business) on November 23 (Calendar p. 24);
- certificates of deletions, if any.
The Loyalty Oath is optional (Guide p. 18). Filings are accepted from 8:00 a.m. (or opening) on the first day to 5:00 p.m. (or close of business, whichever is later) on the last day, and you may file by mail or through an agent (Guide p. 17). Once filed, the petition cannot be changed (Guide p. 19).
Filing at opening on November 16, or between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. on November 23, puts you in a lottery for first or last ballot position; everyone else is listed in filing order (Guide pp. 18, 27 to 28).
Step 8: Get through objections and certification
Objections are due by December 2, 2026, or December 1 if the filing office is open Friday, November 27 (Calendar p. 25). Any legal voter of the district may object (10 ILCS 5/10-8), and objections to municipal candidates are heard by the Municipal Officers Electoral Board, or by the board of election commissioners where the municipality sits wholly inside its jurisdiction (10 ILCS 5/10-9). The ballot is certified January 28, 2027; early voting starts February 25 (or March 12 where a February primary ran); election day is April 6, 2027.
One thing to know as an independent: there is no party to fill a vacancy if you withdraw or are removed from the ballot (Guide p. 11). If an objection removes you after the 61st day before the election, you may file a write-in declaration up to 7 days before the election (Guide p. 13). Our write-in candidacy explainer covers that route.
Get your team texting
Your circulators are your campaign for the next seven weeks. To start, 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and nothing sends until it is bought. Illinois campaigns can also claim 1,000 free texts with a month of Pro plus $149 white-glove setup (normally $299), through January 31, 2027. See CampaignCNX+ for Illinois campaigns, or start your CampaignCNX+ account.