Chicago Board of Elections begins hearing challenges to nominating petitions, including Mayor Johnson's

Monday morning Chicago election officials will begin to hear challenges who could change who is on your ballot for the municipal and mayoral election in February.

Candidates in Chicago must file 12,500 valid signatures from registered Chicago voters to get on the ballot, and often file three to four times that amount to survive challenges. The Chicago Board of Elections must certify the ballot by Dec. 17. The mayoral election is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027, with early voting starting and mail-in ballot going out on Jan. 14.

The Board of Elections has 108 cases to sort through starting Monday, from the mayor's race to city council and other local races. Current Mayor Brandon Johnson and several of his opponents face objections.

The board will meet at 9 a.m. to assign hearing officers. Hearings begin at 10 a.m.

One challenge to Johnson's signatures comes from Willie Wilson's campaign, which alleges some of the signatures the mayor turned in were photocopies.

Johnson's campaign said it has more than enough signatures to qualify.

Then there's a fight over whether three candidates can run for mayor while they were also running for reelection for their current jobs. Mayoral candidate Bill Quinlan filed objections against Alexi Giannoulias, Mike Quigley and Maria Pappas, arguing state law required them to pick one case. The three ran for Secretary of State, Congress and Cook County Treasurer, respectively, in the 2026 midterms that were held last week.

The judge threw out his lawsuit last month because he filed it too early, but left the legal question open. Now Quinlan is raising it with the election board.

Hearings will begin at 10 a.m. and officers will take up several cases at a time to make it through them all.