Filing begins Monday. While you're waiting...

The filing period for judicial candidates opens Monday, October 29. Persons hoping to be first on the ballot need to be in line when the doors open in Springfield -- but being first in line won't help. All those in line at the proper time will be eligible for the ballot position lottery. That should be conducted on November 14. That's after the initial filing period closes on November 5. And, of course, that's after the November 10 date by which candidates who have filed in multiple races must withdraw from all but one.

Candidates now are getting ready to file -- adding up their sheets, numbering them, having their lawyers review them. This may be a slow week for candidate announcements (but feel free to send me an email if you want to make one).

So... while the rest of us are waiting... what can we do?

Matthew Jannush sent an email yesterday advising that the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago is sponsoring a program, "Inside the Illinois Supreme Court," with Justice Anne M. Burke this evening, October 25, starting at 5:00 p.m., in the Illinois Supreme Court Courtroom, 160 N. LaSalle. In order to attend, you must first register: Contact jgottschalk@lagbac.org to RSVP or for more information.

Too short notice for you? Here's a link to John Flynn Rooney's article for the October 2000 issue of Illinois Issues about what Cook County judicial primary campaigns cost... in 2000.

And, since we're on the topic of money, here's a link to "Open Book", a site put up by Illinois State Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes, that bills itself as "a searchable database of state contracts and campaign contributions." (Found via the Capitol Fax Blog.) You can always look at the State Board of Elections site, too, to follow campaign contributions or campaign expenditures.

And you'll notice I said that the "initial filing period" closes on November 5.

There may be another. A special judicial filing period may open up between November 19 and November 26, 2007 -- depending on which, if any, vacancies open up between October 15 through November 5, 2007. Some additional vacancies are anticipated.