Signature Objections Begin for Chicago Mayoral Field
Fifteen candidates are currently challenging incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson for his position in Chicago, but that crowded primary field may not remain static. Starting Tuesday, the city’s petition objection period opened, allowing candidates to challenge their rivals’ petition signatures in an effort to remove them from the ballot.
To qualify for the ballot, each candidate is required to collect at least 12,500 valid signatures. Opponents can now challenge those signatures one by one based on several specific criteria. Valid grounds for objection include voter eligibility issues, duplicate signatures from the same individual, address discrepancies that do not match voter records, or errors in the petition paperwork itself.
While the minimum threshold is 12,500, most major candidates state they submitted significantly more to ensure qualification. Alexi Giannoulias, for example, has submitted approximately 60,000 signatures. Despite these surplus numbers, election officials will review each disputed signature individually to determine if a candidate retains enough valid support to remain in the race.
Strategic Costs of Petition Challenges
The process of defending petitions requires candidates to appear before the Chicago Electoral Board and, in some instances, engage in court proceedings. Veteran election attorney Michael Dorf, who represents Giannoulias and previously represented former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, noted that these challenges can impose a heavy burden on campaigns even when they are ultimately unsuccessful.
"The challenges don't always work, but challenges always drain resources," Dorf said. "They drain labor, they get into the candidate’s head, and the challenger is able to say to donors, ‘Well, don't give money to this person because they may not be on the ballot in two weeks.’ That's always a piece of it."
Dorf observed that while frivolous challenges are rare, the strategic element remains a consistent component of the process. "I've seen very few challenges that are frivolous," he said. "But that other part of the strategy you're talking about is always a piece of any challenge."