Our national election, as it should, is currently consuming a lot of attention and energy. However, it’s important to note our local election is around the corner. Now is the time for candidates to collect signatures to appear on the April 1, 2025 ballot. The final deadline to file is Monday, Nov. 18.
If you are not satisfied with decisions made by our park board, village board, school board, etc., you can’t, as they say, “vote someone out” if we don’t have alternative candidates to “vote in.” A contested election forces a campaign and gives voters the opportunity to evaluate candidates and decide who they want to represent them.
Without a contested race, if a candidate gathers the minimum required number of petition signatures to appear on the ballot, that person will automatically sit on a board. The signature requirement is based on a percentage of ballots cast in the last municipal election. In 2023, out of 8,356 registered voters, 1,738 ballots were cast in River Forest. That translates to the following signature requirements for our next election:
Village Board (President & Trustees) – 5% – 87 signatures required
Park Board – 2% – 35 signatures
Library Board – 2% – 35 signatures
School Board – 10% or 50 signatures, whichever is less
Township Board – 5% – 87 signatures required
As you can see, without a contested election, a concerning small number of residents will determine the board members who will make the decisions that impact all of us, our property values, our schools, our quality of life, and what we pay in taxes.
You can take an active role in recruiting candidates, so voters have choices. Few elected officials wake up one day and decide to run; most have been encouraged by a friend or neighbor who sees in them the capacity to govern at the policy level while simultaneously appreciating how each policy will impact individual community members.
Talk to your friends and neighbors or consider running yourself. It’s not too late!
Information on running for office can be found here: https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/candidates-and-elected-officials/2025-info-candidates
Patty Henek
River Forest