Write-In Candidates Running In Unopposed South Suburban Races

COOK COUNTY — With more than 63 percent of candidates running unopposed in the suburban Cook County for the April 6 election, write-in candidates are giving balloted candidates some competition by stepping into running in many south suburban races.

Just 258 of the 600 election contests in suburban Cook County, nearly 37 percent, are contested in races where no candidate filings were submitted in time for the December deadline. Other candidates may have been knocked off the ballot for not having enough signatures or some other infraction with their filing petitions, such as not using a secure fastener.

Every other year in odd-numbered years, voters select candidates for local municipalities, school board seats, library, park and township boards. Here’s how to vote for a write-in candidate in suburban Cook County.

Write-in candidates running in south suburban races include:

Village of Oak Lawn
Tom Karones, president (4-year term)

City of Palos Hills
Marzena Jurczyk-Konopczak aka “MJ”, Alderman Ward 1 (full term)
Jack Dunajczan, Alderman Ward 2 (full term)
Natalia Slodyczka, Alderman Ward 3 (full term)
Malgorzata Sztachelski, Alderman Ward 3 (full term)

Orland Township
Brian Younker, Highway Trustee (full term)

Elementary School Districts

Evergreen Park ESD 124

Patrick McKeever, Board Member (full term)

Kirby School District 140 (Tinley Park)

Meagan Doornbos, Board Member (full term)

Rich Township High School Dist. 227

Jamair C. Atkins, Board Member (full term)
Marla Johnson, Board Member (full term)

In suburban Cook County, a write-in candidate must submit a Write-in Candidate Declaration of Intent form at the Cook County Clerk’s downtown Chicago office, 69 W. Washington St., Fifth Floor.

The Clerk’s office will provide a list of eligible write-in candidates to each precinct on Election Day. This list enables election judges to determine which write-in candidates are running in their precinct. Only votes for eligible write-in candidates are counted.

Prospective write-in candidates in suburban Cook County must submit a Write-in Candidate Declaration of Intent form with the Cook County Clerk. The clerk’s office will provide a list of eligible candidates to each precinct on election day. Only vote for eligible write-in candidates will be counted. Write-in votes for Mickey Mouse, Bart Simpson, Michael Jordan and the like will not be counted.

Illinois must file paperwork with the county clerk or other election authority will

Casting a vote for a write-in candidate

On a paper ballot:

On the write-in line, print the name of the candidate, then mark the corresponding oval.

On a touchscreen:

On the bottom of the list of candidates press the “write-in” box. When the keyboard appears, type in the name of the write-in candidate and press “OK.”

Validity of write-in votes:

According to the Cook County Clerk: “Complete accuracy of a write-in candidate’s name is not necessary as long as the election judges can determine a voter’s intent to select a specific write-in candidate. There should be some relationship between the appearance or sound of the name written or printed on the ballot and that of the write-in candidate’s actual name.

“If there is a dispute, a majority of the election judges must agree as to the intent of the voter. If an [agreement by a majority] of election judges cannot be reached, the write-in vote will NOT be counted.”