Illinois Compiled Statutes

10 ILCS 5/10-8 (2026)

Except as otherwise provided in this Code, certificates of nomination and nomination papers, and petitions to submit public questions to a referendum, being filed as required by this Code, and being in apparent conformity with the provisions of this Act, shall be deemed to be valid unless objection thereto is duly made in writing within 5 business days after the last day for filing the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petition for a public question, with the following exceptions:         A

✓ current as of May 2026
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(10 ILCS 5/10-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-8)
    Sec. 10-8. Except as otherwise provided in this Code, certificates of nomination and nomination papers, and petitions to submit public questions to a referendum, being filed as required by this Code, and being in apparent conformity with the provisions of this Act, shall be deemed to be valid unless objection thereto is duly made in writing within 5 business days after the last day for filing the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petition for a public question, with the following exceptions:
        A. In the case of petitions to amend Article IV of
    
the Constitution of the State of Illinois, there shall be a period of 35 business days after the last day for the filing of such petitions in which objections can be filed.
        B. In the case of petitions for advisory questions
    
of public policy to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, there shall be a period of 35 business days after the last day for the filing of such petitions in which objections can be filed.
    Any legal voter of the political subdivision or district in which the candidate or public question is to be voted on, or any legal voter in the State in the case of a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution or an advisory public question to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, having objections to any certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions filed, shall file an objector's petition together with 2 copies thereof in the principal office or the permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections, or in the office of the election authority or local election official with whom the certificate of nomination, nomination papers or petitions are on file. Objection petitions that do not include 2 copies thereof, shall not be accepted. In the case of nomination papers or certificates of nomination, the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition is filed, and shall, not later than 12:00 noon on the second business day after receipt of the petition, transmit by registered mail or receipted personal delivery the certificate of nomination or nomination papers and the original objector's petition to the chair of the proper electoral board designated in Section 10-9 hereof, or his authorized agent, and shall transmit a copy by registered mail or receipted personal delivery of the objector's petition, to the candidate whose certificate of nomination or nomination papers are objected to, addressed to the place of residence designated in said certificate of nomination or nomination papers. In the case of objections to a petition for a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution or for an advisory public question to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, the State Board of Elections shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition is filed and shall transmit a copy of the objector's petition by registered mail or receipted personal delivery to the person designated on a certificate attached to the petition as the principal proponent of such proposed amendment or public question, or as the proponents' attorney, for the purpose of receiving notice of objections. In the case of objections to a petition for a public question, to be submitted to the voters of a political subdivision, or district thereof, the election authority or local election official with whom such petition is filed shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition was filed, and shall, not later than 12:00 noon on the second business day after receipt of the petition, transmit by registered mail or receipted personal delivery the petition for the public question and the original objector's petition to the chair of the proper electoral board designated in Section 10-9 hereof, or his authorized agent, and shall transmit a copy by registered mail or receipted personal delivery, of the objector's petition to the person designated on a certificate attached to the petition as the principal proponent of the public question, or as the proponent's attorney, for the purposes of receiving notice of objections.
    The objector's petition shall give the objector's name and residence address, and shall state fully the nature of the objections to the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions in question, and shall state the interest of the objector and shall state what relief is requested of the electoral board.
    The provisions of this Section and of Sections 10-9, 10-10 and 10-10.1 shall also apply to and govern objections to petitions for nomination filed under Article 7 or Article 8, except as otherwise provided in Section 7-13 for cases to which it is applicable, and also apply to and govern petitions for the submission of public questions under Article 28.
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 71 cases (21 in the last 5 years), 1994–2026 · leading case: Pate v. Wiseman, 2019 IL App (1st) 190449 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019).
Pate v. Wiseman, 2019 IL App (1st) 190449 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 2× “¶3 Pursuant to the provisions of the Election Code, objections to nomination papers were to be filed by December 3, 2018 (10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2016)), but none were filed against the slated candidates.”
Jackson v. Bd. of Election Commissioners of the City of Chicago, 2012 IL 111928 (Ill. 2012). “See 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2010). Jackson asserted numerous grounds in support of her petition.”
Samuelson v. Cook Cnty. Officers Electoral Bd., 2012 IL App (1st) 120581 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). · cites it 2× “” 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2008). The Board “will only consider written objections and the written specifications of such objections to the original petitions, as set forth in the objector’s petition.”
Bonaguro v. the Cnty. Officers Electoral Bd., 634 N.E.2d 712 (Ill. 1994). “(See 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 1992).) The electoral board overruled Bonaguro's objections and ordered that Janura's name be printed on the ballot for the November 1992 general election.”
McHenry Twp. v. Cnty. of McHenry, 2022 IL 127258 (Ill. 2022). “) 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2018). ¶ 83 Section 10-8 authorizes a clerk to reject nomination papers and petitions to submit public questions if they are not in “apparent conformity” with the Election Code, but the section makes no reference to public question resolutions.”
Zurek v. Petersen, 2015 IL App (1st) 150508 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). · cites it 7× “July 1, 2014) (amending 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2012)). This was the full extent of the argument.”
Cunningham v. Schaeflein, 2012 IL App (1st) 120529 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). “” 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2008). The role of an electoral board is to “decide whether or not the certificate of nomination or nominating papers or petitions on file are valid or whether the objections thereto should be sustained.”
Schittino v. Vill. of Niles, 2024 IL App (1st) 230926 (Ill. App. Ct. 2024). · cites it 2× “See 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (2018). In this case, however, the Clerk took it upon herself to deem the Referendum question unconstitutional and refused to certify it.”
Wiesner v. Brennan, 2016 IL App (2d) 160115 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016). “” 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2014). An electoral board “will only consider written objections and the written specifications of such objections to the original petitions, as set forth in the objector’s petition.”
Burns v. Mun. Officers Electoral Bd., 2020 IL 125714 (Ill. 2020). “See 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2018) (requiring objections to petitions for referendum to be “duly made in writing within 5 business days after the last day for filing the *** petition for a public question”).”
Welch v. Educ. Officers Electoral Bd., 750 N.E.2d 222 (Ill. App. Ct. 2001). · cites it 3× “" 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 1993). As to the first question whether plaintiffs' nomination papers were timely filed, we believe that they were.”
Wisnasky-Bettorf v. Pierce, 934 N.E.2d 623 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 3× “" 10 ILCS 5/10-8 (West 2008). Section 7-61 further provides in relevant part as follows: "If the name of no established political party candidate was printed on the general *632 primary ballot for a particular office and if no person was nominated as a write-in candidate for…”
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