Chicago's Mayoral Field Faces Its First Cut Monday, When Petition Challenges Come Due

Chicago's crowded mayoral race reaches its first deadline on Monday, and it is a paperwork one. Petition challenges are due Monday, Nov. 2 — the last day for rivals to object to the nominating petitions that decide who actually appears on the February 2027 ballot, however many signatures a campaign says it collected.

The rules are unforgiving. A mayoral candidate must submit at least 12,500 valid signatures from registered Chicago voters. Signatures can be struck if the signer is not a registered Chicago voter, signed more than once, or used an address that does not match voter records, and challenges can also target errors in the petition paperwork itself. Most major candidates say they submitted far more than the minimum — Alexi Giannoulias submitted about 60,000, and Mayor Brandon Johnson filed more than 33,000 — but opponents can challenge those signatures one by one, and election officials decide which ones count. Fifteen candidates are challenging Johnson, FOX 32 reported; NBC Chicago reported that at least one rival could challenge the mayor's own petitions, including questions about photocopied pages, since Chicago law requires original signatures.

Even a challenge that fails costs the target. Veteran election attorney Michael Dorf, who represents Giannoulias, told FOX 32 that challenges drain labor and resources and let a challenger warn donors that a candidate may not be on the ballot in two weeks. Election attorney Burt Odelson told NBC Chicago the field could be cut to eight-to-ten candidates by the process. Candidates facing objections must defend their petitions before the Chicago Electoral Board and, in some cases, in court. The final ballot is scheduled to be certified Dec. 17.