12,500 Signatures: Threshold That Could Reshape Chicago Mayoral Ballot

Hearings are set to begin on Monday morning to examine legal challenges to the signature petitions of six mayoral candidates. The process involves a review of the validity of the signatures collected by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Congressman Mike Quigley, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. The outcome of these proceedings will determine which names appear on the ballot for the February election.

Chicago candidates must collect at least 12,500 valid signatures to qualify for the mayoral race. Campaigns typically submit more than this minimum number to create a buffer against rejected entries. Signatures may be invalidated if the signer was not a registered voter at the time of signing or if a single individual signed on behalf of multiple people. It is a rare occurrence for a sitting mayor to face a signature challenge in this manner.

The electoral board will convene at 9 a.m. on Monday at the Cook County Office building on West Washington. During this initial session, the board will establish the procedural rules for the hearings and appoint the hearing officers who will preside over the cases. This step sets the framework for how the evidence will be presented and reviewed by the panel.

Hearing officers will begin reviewing the specific cases at 10 a.m. on the same day. Multiple hearings will proceed simultaneously to manage the volume of challenges. The proceedings will focus on the technical validity of the petition forms and the registration status of the signatories. Each candidate’s team will have the opportunity to defend their petition counts before the appointed officers.