Another step in the process.
Today, I made a quick trip down to the Lake County Clerk's Office to file my Statement of Economic Interests. A stamped copy of the statement is required as part of petition packet that I will submit on December 15th, to get on the ballot for the General Consolidated Election next April.I like to get things out of the way early if I can, and since I have a meeting of the Lake County Public Water District tonight, I took today off work to run some errands, and this was one of them. For those who might be curious, I had nothing to declare on my statement, no financial or business interests that qualify for disclosure.
How many signatures?
Perhaps the first question that comes up when considering whether to run for public office is how do I get my name on the ballot? The basic requirement is that the prospective candidate must gather the signatures of a certain number of registered voters that live in the area to be represented. Depending on the level of government, the office sought, and whether a primary election is required, the required number can range from a few hundred to several thousand.So, I am running for office again, and in conversations with people who hold office, have run for office, or are just interested, the question often comes up; how many signatures do you need, minimum?
The answer almost always comes as a surprise to them; ten (10).
When I first ran for Commissioner, I was advised to get twice as many signatures as required, in case anyone challenges the validity of the petition. As of today, I have twenty signatures, so I am pretty much set for this round.
In a city with a population over 23,000, how is it that a person can petition to run for the office of Commissioner on the City Council, with only ten qualified signatures?
The answer lies in Illinois State Statute 65 ILCS 5/4-3-8. As quoted from the 2015 Candidate Guide, for the Commission Form - Municipal; Signature Requirements: Equal to at least 1% of the total vote cast for mayor at the last preceding mayoral election of the municipality.
If you are mathematically inclined, you realize that means that there were only 1000 votes cast in the last Mayoral race four years ago. Mayor Lane Harrison ran unopposed in that election, and whether the low turnout was due to satisfaction with the mayor's performance, or general apathy among the voters, the result is a general lowering of the bar for office seekers in the next election. This will encourage a number of people to become candidates, who might not otherwise seek an office. By the way, the same signature requirement applies to candidates running for the office of Mayor in the April 2015 election too.
I expect that there will be large number of candidates for both Commissioner and Mayor in the April election. Determining which ones have the qualifications and temperament to effectively serve the people of Zion, will ultimately be the responsibility of the voters.
Let's help them make an informed decision. This is the part of the campaign where I ask for your help in getting the word out to the public that there is a alternative to the status-quot in the coming election. I am running for Commissioner because I believe that I have the qualities and determination to make our city government work better for everyone. Go to www.fischerforzion.com and check out my campaign platform, follow the campaign on facebook and also on twitter. Talk to your friends and neighbors; tell them that local government effects their daily lives more directly than anything else, and they need to get involved in the process to make a difference.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you, either in the comments, or email me at fischerforzion@gmail.com
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