To run for alderperson or city council in Illinois, you confirm your city's 2027 election track, collect enough valid signatures from registered voters in your ward (or the whole city, for at-large seats) on the official petition, file a notarized Statement of Candidacy, your petition sheets and your Statement of Economic Interests receipt with the city clerk or the Board of Election Commissioners, and hold your spot through the objection period. Partisan races in cities over 5,000 and all Chicago races file October 19 to 26, 2026. Independents and many nonpartisan city races file November 16 to 23, 2026.
The good news about a ward race: it is small enough to win at the doors. The steps below use dates from the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) 2027 calendar and Candidate's Guide. Neither is legal advice and this post is not either, so confirm details with your city clerk or an election attorney. For other offices, see our guide to running for local office in Illinois.
Step 1: Confirm your track and filing office
Ask your city clerk which of these applies to your city and your seat.
February 23, 2027 track: partisan municipal races in cities over 5,000, nonpartisan municipal primaries, council-manager cities, and every City of Chicago office.
- Circulation began July 28, 2026; filing October 19 to 26, 2026
- Objections due November 2; ballot certified December 17
- Early voting from January 14, 2027; election February 23, 2027
In Chicago, February 23 is the municipal general election. An alderperson candidate with more than 50% wins outright; otherwise there is a runoff on April 6.
April 6, 2027 track: independent and new-party municipal candidates. Most nonpartisan villages are on this track as well; ask your clerk where your city's council races fall.
- Circulation began August 25, 2026; filing November 16 to 23, 2026
- Objections due December 1 or 2; ballot certified January 28, 2027
- Early voting from February 25 (or March 12 where a February primary ran); election April 6, 2027
Where to file: "With the appropriate city or village clerk, or in those cities having a Board of Election Commissioners, with the clerk of that Board" (ISBE Candidate's Guide, p. 33). Chicago candidates should confirm the details with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Step 2: Get your signature number
| Candidate | Signatures needed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Party candidate for alderperson | At least 0.5% of the party's primary voters in the ward, minimum 25 | 10 ILCS 5/7-10(e) |
| Nonpartisan city candidate | 5% to 8% of voters at the last regular election | 10 ILCS 5/10-3, 10-3.1 |
| Independent | 5% to 8% of voters at the last regular election in the district, or 50 above the minimum if that is greater | 10 ILCS 5/10-3 |
| Chicago alderperson | At least 473 per ward | 65 ILCS 20/21-28 |
Two notes. First, if your city redrew its wards and this is the first election under the new map, independents use a special formula that is never less than 25 (Guide pp. 32 to 33); ask the clerk. Second, collect a margin. Objections strike invalid signatures, and many campaigns aim for 1.5 to 2 times the minimum as a cushion. That is practice, not law. Confirm your exact number with your filing office.
Step 3: Circulate inside the ward
Ward boundaries are the most common trap in a council race. A signature from a registered voter one block outside your ward does not count, because signers must be registered voters in the district, at the address they write on the sheet.
Before you start: fill in the petition heading (election, your name, office, ward, party where applicable, your residence) the same way on every sheet. Your name must match your Statement of Candidacy exactly and cannot include titles or slogans.
Circulators: U.S. citizens, 18 or older (or 18 by the consolidated election). They do not need to be registered voters or live in the ward. You may circulate your own sheets. Each sheet has exactly one circulator, who personally watches every signature on it. In partisan races, a circulator may not carry petitions for more than one established party.
Signers: each person signs their own name; nobody signs for a spouse or roommate. In a partisan primary, a voter signs for one established party only. In nonpartisan races, a voter may sign as many petitions as there are seats to be filled.
Window: no signature gathered more than 90 days before the last filing day counts.
Paper: the official form, original signatures in dark ink. Illinois candidate petitions cannot be signed electronically.
Notary: the circulator signs the statement at the bottom of each sheet before a notary, listing the dates circulated. ISBE suggests not using a petition signer as the notary.
Step 4: Assemble and file
Review every line. Only you or the circulator may strike one, by initialing it and listing it on a certificate of deletions (SBE Form P-2A). Then build the packet:
- Notarized Statement of Candidacy at the front.
- Petition sheets, originals, numbered from 1 at the top, bound in book form at one edge. No paper clips, no clipboards, no taped strips.
- Statement of Economic Interests receipt. File the SEI with the county clerk of the county where the city's principal office is, then file the receipt with the clerk who takes your petition by 5:00 p.m. on the last filing day.
- Certificate of deletions, if needed.
The Loyalty Oath is optional. You can file in person, by mail or through an agent. If you want to be in the drawing for first ballot position, be in line at opening on the first day (the first USPS delivery that morning also counts). Filing between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. on the last day enters you in a drawing for the last positions.
Step 5: Survive objections
Any legal voter of the city may file an objection within five business days after the last filing day: November 2, 2026 for the February track, December 1 or 2 for the April track. It must be written, filed with an original and two copies, and must state the grounds, the objector's interest and the relief requested (10 ILCS 5/10-8).
Council candidates go before the Municipal Officers Electoral Board: the mayor as chair, the city clerk, and the longest-serving eligible council member. In a city wholly within a municipal board of election commissioners' jurisdiction, that board hears it. Hearings start three to five days after the chair receives the objection; the board can subpoena records and must explain its findings in writing. Circuit court review must be sought within five days.
Expect a ward race to draw objections when it is close. Bring an election attorney in as soon as you are served.
Step 6: Campaign from certification to election day
- February track: certified December 17, early voting January 14, election February 23. Chicago candidates keep April 6 open for a possible runoff.
- April track: certified January 28, early voting February 25 (March 12 where a February primary ran), election April 6.
If your campaign raises or spends more than $5,000 in 12 months, counting your own money, file a Form D-1 with ISBE within 10 business days, or 2 business days in the last 30 days before the election.
Step 7: Knock every door in the ward, then follow up by text
Build and route your ward walk list in Beacon. Load the registered voters in your ward (your clerk or county party can explain how to get the list) and see every door on a map. Route optimization orders the walk so you are not crossing the ward twice. Assign blocks to volunteers with territory management. Beacon works offline and syncs later, and at each door you record the result (contacted, not home, refused, moved, come back later, left literature), a 1 to 5 support rating and notes. Go back to the "come back later" doors before early voting opens. Unlimited canvassers come with every plan.
Add a survey question at the door: "Would you like a text when early voting opens?" Anyone who says yes signs your separate, dated opt-in sheet. A petition signature alone is not consent to text, which we explain in can you text the people who signed your petition?
Send the reminder from CampaignCNX+. Load the opted-in list, schedule the early voting and final-weekend messages inside quiet hours, and answer replies in the two-way inbox. STOP replies are processed automatically. You will need Campaign Verify first, which requires a committee with an EIN and a published filing. Requests before November 15, 2026 expire January 31, 2027; requests on or after November 15 last to January 31, 2029.
Running on a slate with a mayoral candidate? Our mayor and village president guide covers the citywide side.
Set up your texting before the ward gets busy
CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration for you and guides you through Campaign Verify. A ward race rarely needs much volume: pay as you go is $0.06 per SMS, and Basic is $55 a month with 1,000 SMS. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. Illinois campaigns can see our current offer on the Illinois political texting page.