Daily Herald Report
Less than two weeks after votes were counted in the fall election, candidates in Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates will be filing nominating petitions Monday for spots on the spring ballot.
Here's what's happening:
Q. Why are these candidates filing so early?
A. Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg are preparing for possible February primaries in case there's a need to narrow the field before the consolidated general election on April 2.
As a result, candidates in these towns must file their nominating petitions earlier than candidates in other communities where primaries are not an option. Petitions in the two towns must be filed between Monday and Nov. 26, excluding weekends, Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Q. Who's up for election?
A. In Schaumburg, three candidates already have announced plans to seek the mayor's office -- longtime village Trustee Tom Dailly, 21-year village resident Nafees Rahman and 20-year resident Sunil Shah. And that doesn't include 31-year incumbent Mayor Al Larson, who has declined to say whether he'll seek re-election.
Dailly has a slate of candidates running with him for three open trustee seats, including fellow board members Mark Madej and George Dunham, as well as Brian Bieschke, a 13-year veteran of the village's advisory panels.
Leon Mangum and Nooruddin Taj are running for trustee as part of a Rahman slate.
Three trustee seats also are open in Hoffman Estates, where incumbents Anna Newell, Gary Pilafas and Gary Stanton have announced they will seek re-election. No challengers have publicly announced their candidacy. Mayor William McLeod's office is not up for election next year.
Q. What would trigger a primary?
A. If five or more candidates file to appear on the ballot for a given office.
In each case, the idea is to have no more than four people for each available post advance to the April election. So if five people file for mayor in Schaumburg, for example, the primary would be designed to knock one person off the ballot.
Q. What happens if there is a primary?
A. If there is a primary in either of the towns, it will take place on Feb. 26.
Q. Does this include races for other seats?
A. No. The filing period for most municipal seats -- as well as seats on school boards, library boards, fire district boards and park district boards -- won't happen until next month.
Q. When is the filing deadline for other towns?
A. Nominating papers for most elected positions on the April 2 ballot will be filed from Dec. 10 through the end of the business day on Dec. 17.