April 01--Candidates for the Downstate congressional seat formerly held by Rep. Aaron Schock have just three weeks to complete the necessary paperwork with the state elections board to try get on the special election ballot, Gov. Bruce Rauner's office announced Tuesday.
Nomination papers will be accepted between April 15 and April 20, the governor's office said.
Rauner also set dates in early June and late July for the primary and subsequent special election, but those dates are expected to be pushed back in order to comply with federal election law.
In notices to 21 cities and counties located in the sprawling central Illinois district, Rauner set the primary election for June 8 and the special election for July 24. State law requires the governor to set a special election date shortly after a seat has been vacated and not more than 120 days away.
But state law is in conflict with a federal voting act that requires sufficient time for ballots to be mailed to citizens who live abroad, including members of the military who are stationed overseas. So the state is working with the federal government to set different dates, the governor's office said, with the primary expected to be held in late June or early July and the special election in late August.
Schock announced his resignation earlier this month amid mounting media scrutiny of his lavish spending habits, now the subject of a federal invesigation. His resignation took effect Tuesday.
kgeiger@tribpub.com
