Messing with nominating petitions

Prior to the 1984 Primary election, the Illinois General Assembly changed the requirements for filing nominating petitions.

The number of signatures required became based on the total vote for the party’s candidate in the previous general election, rather than in the previous primary election.

Since heavily Democratic wards had voted overwhelmingly for the Republican mayoral candidate in the most recent contest, some Republican committeeman candidates were required to meet signature requirements that were greater than the total number of GOP voters in their wards.

In wards where no candidates could appear on the ballot, the Republican central committee appointed Committeemen, and some of those people did not even reside in the wards they now represented, thus hindering development of local leadership.

The appointed 50th ward GOP committeeman, for example, was a resident of suburban Mount Prospect.