Tag: politics

Democratic Party, Election Information, On the Ballot, petitions, Precinct Committeeperson

August 5, 2025: Established Party Petition Circulation Begins For The March 17, 2026 Primary Election!

Lisa

FUN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW !!!!!!
Tis the season! Precinct Committeepersons, candidates and their volunteers will begin petition signature collection! It runs from August 5th through November 3rd, which is the last day for candidates to file Nominating Papers. Candidates usually wrap up petition season ASAP and weeks before filing deadlines. Petition signatures are how candidates get onto the ballot!

As a PC I will circulate petitions for myself and partake in one of my main duties which is to circulate for candidates. This is one of the most important processes voters can engage in aside from voting! This is also where you and your PC work together as a team!

WHO IS SEEKING BALLOT ACCESS?
PARTISAN
Precinct Committeepersons – elected on March 17, 2026
Candidates for November 2026 General Election – primary on March 17, 2026
NON PARTISAN
Candidates Municipal Election – elected March 17, 2026
(primary on February 3, 2026 if needed)

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHO / WHAT PARTY YOU ARE SIGNING FOR
Look carefully at the petition presented to you and find the established party the candidate is aligned with. This is very important. The first petition you sign determines the ONLY party you can sign petitions for in an election cycle. Also, you can sign for as many candidates of that party as you like.* Are there 3 Democrats running for County board? Sign for all of them if you choose!

I encourage you to ask more about the candidate at that time. Ask why they are running, how to contact them directly and what their platform is and offer up concerns you have that they can address. Good volunteers will take notes.
As YOUR PC, I already know these things and this is WHY getting to know your local PC is sooooo important!

A signer may not sign petitions for a candidate of more than one political party for the same election. (10 ILCS 5/7-10)
*This differs for Nonpartisan/Independent candidates (municipal election). The number of seats to be elected is the number of petitions that a voter can sign.

Below is a sample of a petition that I will use for my reelection as a PC for the Democratic party of McHenry County. You can see the established party as well as where I will write my full name, address and the election date. The petition format for other offices (county board, senate, congress, etc..) might be a little different but the same candidate info is required. Check petitions carefully before you sign.

NOTE: The party of the candidate you sign for does NOT limit you on who you can vote for in the primary election or the general election. Illinois has an open primary and does not require voters to register by party. Also you can change which established party you sign petitions for in future election cycles.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PETITION SIGNERS
1) Petition signers must use their own signature on the petition. A signer cannot sign for someone else, such as another member of the family or another person in the household.
2) Petition signers must be a registered voter in the political subdivision/district in which the candidate is seeking nomination or election. (10 ILCS 5/3-1.2, 7-10, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4)
3) Petition signers shall indicate on such petition their residence addresses (written or printed) including the street address or rural route number, as well as the city, village or town, county, and state. The state, county, city, village, and town of residence may be pre-printed on the petition form when all of the electors signing the petition form reside therein.
5) Petition signers must be a registered voter from the address shown opposite the signature on the petition. (10 ILCS 5/7-10, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4)
4) Standard abbreviations may be used in writing the residence address.

Activism, McHenry County

McHenry County NOW Event

Lisa

McHenry County NOW hosted an event on International Women’s Day and over 700 people attended. The group screamed their frustrations out. Shared stories, hugs and bonded. They learned about upcoming local elections on April 1, 2025. People came from Chicago, Kane County, Lake County and beyond. Since then, the organization has gained much attention by those who do NOT support the issues NOW prioritizes: https://mchenryconow.org/now-priorities/
It is likely that this event on April 5 is going to have a tremendous turn out.

NOW Priorities

Constitutional Equality Amendment

Equality in pay, job opportunities, political structure, social security and education will remain an elusive dream without a guarantee of equality in the U.S Constitution.  The progress we have made – and must continue to make – towards women’s equality can be lost at any time because those advances depend on legislation that can be (and has been) weakened or repealed by Congress.  Because the Equal Rights Amendment has not yet become law, winning a constitutional guarantee of equality for women remains one of NOW’S top priorities.

Reproductive Justice

Racial Justice

NOW condemns the racism that inflicts a double burden of race and sex discrimination on women of color.  Seeing human rights as indivisible, we are committed to identifying and fighting against those barriers to equality and justice that are imposed by racism.  A leader in the struggle for civil rights since its inception in 1966, NOW is committed to diversifying our movement, and we continue to fight for equal opportunities for women of color in all areas, including employment, education, and reproductive rights.

LGBTQIA+ Rights

NOW was a leader in achieving marriage equality and continues to be committed to fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, health services, child custody, and military policies.  NOW is committed to educational efforts that combat the adverse effects of homophobia, promote positive images in the media, and ultimately ensure civil rights protection for all.  NOW asserts the right of LGBTQIA individuals to live their lives with dignity and security.

Violence Against Women

NOW is unique in its approach to the issue of violence against women, emphasizing that there are many interrelated aspects to the issue:  domestic violence; sexual assault; sexual harassment; clinic violence; hate crimes across lines of gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race:  the gender bias in our judicial system that further victimizes the victims of violence; and the violence of poverty emphasized by the radical right’s attacks on poor women and children – all of which result from society’s attitudes toward women and efforts to “keep women in their place.”

Economic Justice

NOW advocates for a wide range of economic justice issues affecting women, from the glass ceiling to the sticky floor of poverty.  These include welfare reform, livable wages, job discrimination, pay equity, housing, social security and pension reform and much more.