Municipal, School Board Election Filing Deadline Extended until Dec. 26

Perry County Clerk Kevin Kern, the county's chief election official, advises that the Illinois General Assembly last week took action on Senate Bill 3338.

This proposal changes the final date of filing for the April 2013 Consolidated Election for municipalities and school districts.

Governor Quinn signed this measure into law on Sunday.

As a result, municipal and school offices will not have to remain open until 5 p.m. on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Instead, the last day of filing will be Wednesday, Dec. 26. Offices must be open to accept filings on 5 p.m. on that date.

Please note that there is no change to the opening date of filing, which remains Monday, Dec. 17. Please plan to staff your office accordingly and share this information with potential candidates as you deem appropriate.

The text below is from the Governor's Office press release:

"Senate Bill 3338 also makes a change to election law that gives candidates more time to file petitions for the 2013 consolidated election and provides local governments more flexibility to accept petitions. Previously, the final date to submit petitions fell on Dec. 24, 2012. While Christmas Eve is not a state holiday, some local election authorities are traditionally closed, potentially hindering timely petition filingor resulting in additional unplanned expenses to local authorities. The new law increases efficiency and reduces costs by extending the final date to file petitions to Dec. 26, 2012."