It’s election time, again: Filing starts for April 1 races in McHenry County

The ballot is first come, first listed for McHenry County's local races this spring, so Tuesday, the first day of filing, saw candidates in some jurisdictions lined up at 8 a.m. outside city and village halls, hoping to be first.

Unlike the November election, April's election will be dominated by local races, including for municipalities, townships, and school, park, fire protection and library districts.

The filing period for the April 1 election is nearly three weeks earlier than in years past, when local candidates had until early December to turn in their candidate packets, said Joe Tirio, McHenry County clerk and the county's chief election official.

School board candidates drop their packets off at the clerk's office in Woodstock. Tuesday was "a little crazy, ... one election ending with another beginning," Tirio said.

At the same time his office is finishing up the Nov. 5 general election, they "are ramping up the next municipal, consolidated, township elections. It is a little crazy, those two things overlapping each other. It adds to the fun," he said.

Lawmakers in Springfield passed a law that moved dates up to ensure "ballot certainty," he said. With the earlier deadline, the hope is all candidate objections and appeals will be finished before ballots are printed – something that hasn't always happened in the past.

In 2022, an objection to McHenry County sheriff candidate Tony Colatorti's candidacy was still under consideration by a state appellate court until June 13 – just two weeks before the primary election , after the ballot had been printed and the day early voting began.

Challenges to candidates' paperwork can knock those who have filed off the ballot, and the candidates and the objectors can appeal an unfavorable result in court. Those battles can last until just before – or after – ballots go to print, Tirio said.

McHenry Deputy Clerk Monte Johnson walks into the city council chambers Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, the first day of filing for the consolidated election on April 1, 2025. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver Shaw Media )

At least 18 McHenry County-area mayors and village presidents are up for election this spring, and at least 10 have said they plan to run again.

That includes Johnsburg Village President Ed Hettermann who was among the four candidates the Village Hall to drop off their packets when the building opened Tuesday morning, Village Administrator Claudett Sofiakis said. The other candidates included two Village Board incumbents and one newcomer.

As a village clerk and then administrator, Sofiakis has been the person candidates give their Johnsburg packets to for 33 years. What she hopes now is residents show up to the polls this spring.

"Ultimately, it is important that people come out for the local elections. It is one of the places they can most effectively make changes in their community," Sofiakis said.

McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett and five city council aldermanic candidates were at the McHenry city hall on Tuesday to file their paperwork. Jett announced in late September that he planned to run for another term , hoping to extend his time as mayor to 12 years.

He also asked residents to show up in April.

"I can go to city hall and impact the community tomorrow. What is more important is local (elections) and what people want and expect to be done in the city of McHenry," Jett said.

Cary Mayor Mark Kownick, up for reelection for his fourth term, turned his paperwork in on Tuesday, too. Serving nearly 12 years, Kownick said he is the longest consecutively serving mayor in the village's history.

"I believe in continuity," he said.

Other communities didn't see a first wave of filings.

Oakwood Hills, which has a village president and four trustee positions up, did not have anyone drop off a packet. No filings were made for Prairie Grove's village president position, currently held by David Underwood, who said in an email to the Northwest Herald last month that he plans to run again.

Tirio said he hopes voters are not so burned out on politics that they tune out the local races.

"People are tired of politics, and it has been a four-year campaign that is just (now) over," Tirio said. "I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people didn't care a lot. I wish it were not the case, but it might be the case."

While McHenry County's unofficial turnout sat at 67% in the recently concluded November election as of Tuesday evening, turnout in the last local elections was 13.5%, according to the county clerk's website.

What could help, he said, is mail-in and early voting.

"In Illinois, the adoption of early voting and vote-by-mail, I think, will change the complexion of voting patterns in the future," Tirio said. "Both parties have embraced that – get out and vote as soon as you can, either by mail or early voting."