Busy election season in Cook County starts Tuesday with opening day for candidate filing

The 2022 election campaign season for Cook County enters an important phase this week as the early filing period for offices that might require a primary election begins on Tuesday, May 17.

The filing period is open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 31.

Among the local offices that could require a primary are all five seats on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Other local offices that are up for election this year are the Cook County sheriff, attorney and auditor/treasurer. There are also seats on the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District Board.

After filing between May 17-31, any candidate wishing to rescind their filing can do so by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, and their names will not appear on the ballot, according to Cook County Auditor Braidy Powers.

Specific to the county commissioners, all five seats on the county board are up for election due to redistricting. The board chose to have districts 2 and 4 run for two-year terms in 2022, Powers told WTIP earlier this month. Powers said these seats would run again in 2024 for what would be then be four-year terms. Meanwhile, the commissioners chose to have districts 1, 3 and 5 run for four-year terms in 2022. They would continue on with 4 year terms after that, Powers said.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Powers about the filing process that begins Tuesday. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs May 16, 2022