Political candidates in DuPage County might have to spend more time canvassing for signatures this fall if Gov. Rod Blagojevich signs a new law that triples the number of signatures they must present to get their names placed on ballots.
The change would translate into 3,009 signatures for countywide Republican candidates, up from the current requirement of 1,003 signatures. Democrats running for a countywide office would have to garner 2,606 signatures, up from 868 signatures.
Requirements for county board and forest preserve district seats would increase less, since Republicans running for the positions must now present about 200 to 300 signatures and Democrats must show about 100 to 200 signatures.
Even though candidates began circulating petitions Aug. 7, the DuPage Election Commission will operate under the new signature requirements as soon as the governor signs the bill, Executive Director Bob Saar said.Whatever happens to the signatures requirements, candidates have from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 to file their petitions with the Election Commission.
State Sen. Dan Cronin of Lombard and Rep. Bob Biggins of Elmhurst, both Republicans, amended the bill to increase the signature requirements to run for office specifically in DuPage County.
Calling the new requirement a "modest change," Cronin emphasized that the bill passed comfortably in both legislative bodies with wide, bipartisan support.
But members of the Democratic and Green parties are crying foul.
Cronin and Biggins are just showing that Republicans in the county are worried about encroaching Democrats, said Gayl Ferraro, chairman of the Democratic Party of DuPage County.
"It is far easier for incumbents to generate signatures than challengers," Ferraro said. "This is nothing more than arrogant political trickery, which we have come to expect in both the White House and now our state Legislature, to give DuPage Republicans an advantage in recruiting candidates."
William Edgar, chairman of the DuPage Green Party, also expressed outrage about the legislation.
"This is an outrageous amendment that is very problematic, unconstitutional, and certainly crushes equal protection for all voters and candidates in DuPage County," he said.
Contact Paige Winfield at pwinfield@scn1.com or
630-416-5275
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