UNION LEADERSHIP WILL JOIN US

TOMORROW NIGHT.

>> IN A TYPICAL YEAR ILLINOIS

WOULD BE DEEP IN THE THROES OF

CAMPAIGN SEASON.

THE PRIMARY WOULD BE TAKING

PLACE NEXT WEEK.

INSTEAD ELECTION SEASON IS JUST

GETTING UNDERWAY THE FIRST DAY

CANDIDATES WERE ABLE TO FILE TO

RUN INTO A JUNE PRIMARY.

AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US WITH

MORE.

>> YEAH, PARIS IT WAS COLD AND

SNOWY IN ILLINOIS' CAPITAL CITY

BUT NO MATTER.

FOLKS SCORES REALLY SPENT HOURS

OUTSIDE AND ALIGNED IN A

NON-DISCRIPT STRIP MALL WHERE

THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF

ELECTIONS IS BASED.

SIMILAR HOW FOLKS USED TO CAMP

OUT AND BUY CONCERT TICKETS.

THESE WERE NOT JUST RANDOM

ANYBODIES.

SOME WERE PROMINENT POLITICIANS

OTHERS ARE ASPIRING TO BE.

>> THAT'S DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.

IT IS A SPECIAL DAY.

AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE AND

THIS IS HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE.

>> I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AN

IMPORTANT PHASE IN THE PROCESS

OF GETTING YOUR NAME ON THE

BALLOT AND IT STARTS WITH THE

PETITIONS.

I'M HONORED TO HAVE PEOPLE HELP

ME CIRCULATE MY PETITION.

>> WE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE FROM

VOTERS AT THE DOORS AND YOU WILL

SEE THAT WEE WE FILE OUR

PETITIONS.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT CAMPAIGN

SEASON 2022.

>> THAT IS A CUSTOM TO GET MEDIA

ATTENTION AND A CHANCE FOR A LEG

UP.

ANYONE IN LINE TO FILE PETITIONS

BY THE TIME ELECTION AUTHORITIES

OPEN THEIR DOORS THIS MORNING

HAD A CHANCE TO BE LISTED FIRST

FOR THEIR RACE ON THE BALLOT.

A POSITION THAT COULD MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IF THERE IS A CLOSE

CONTEST N ORDER TO MAKE IT ON

THE BALLOT ILLINOIS CANDIDATES

HAVE TO COLLECT SIGNATURES FROM

REGISTERED VOTERS.

THE AMOUNT VARIES, BUT FOR

STATE-WIDE CANDIDATES THOUSANDS

OF SIGNATURES ARE REQUIRED.

SOME CANDIDATES FILING FOR LOCAL

OFFICE HERE IN COOK COUNTY

SOUNDED LESS THAN ENTHUSED.

>> THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT

ELECTION I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED

IN.

FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS CHICAGO.

THIS IS WINTER, THERE IS A

PANDEMIC.

THEY SQUEEZED US USUALLY WE HAVE

90 DAYS WE HAD 60 DAYS TO GET

PETITIONS.

PEOPLE DID NOT ANSWER THEIR

DOORS.

LOVE RING CAMERAS THEY DON'T

WORK FOR US.

>> THIS IS THE MOST CHALLENGING

PETITION DRIVE WE'VE HAD IN

LARGE PART BECAUSE OF WEATHER

AND THE SHORTENED TIME PERIOD.

AND THE PANDEMIC I MEAN

EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF MADE

IT MORE CHALLENGING.

>> COOK COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT

TONI PRECKWINKLE HAS DONE THIS

ROUTINE BEFORE AND IS RUNNING

FOR A FOURTH TERM OF OFFICE SHE

HAS HELD SINCE 2010.

AND PRECKWINKLE IS CHAIR OF THE

COOK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY SO

SHE HAS RESPONSIBILITIES TO

INSURE THAT PETITIONS FOR OTHER

CANDIDATES SLATED BY THE PARTY

ARE IN ORDER.

PRECKWINKLE DID NOT MENTION

ANOTHER REASON THAT VOTERS MAY

NOT BE KEEN TO SIGN PETITIONS.

BUT THEY MIGHT BE FED UP,

DISGUSTED WITH POLITICS.

PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF

WEDNESDAY'S INDICTMENT OF FORMER

ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER AND

FORMER DEMOCRATIC STATE PARTY

CHAIR MICHAEL MADIGAN.

>> THE CHARGES ARE AGAINST

SPEAKER MADIGAN.

HE IS THE ONE WHO IS TO BE HELD

ACCOUNTABLE.

>> DO YOU THINK VOTERS RECOGNIZE

THAT, THOUGH?

>> YOU KNOW I'M HOPEFUL THAT IS

THE CASE IT'S TO BE DETERMINED I

SUPPOSE.

>> PRECKWINKLE DID NOT VOICE

CONCERN ABOUT MADIGAN BEING A

DRAG ON DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS

ARE SURE TO SPEND THE NEXT THREE

MONTHS TRYING THEIR DARNEDEST.

>> I'M HEARING THAT THEY BELIEVE

CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROL UNDER

J.B. PRITZKER.

CORRUPTION IS OUT OF CONTROL.

AND OUR RESIDENTS OF ILLINOIS

WANT A DIFFERENCE THEY WANT

SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO LOOK

OUT FOR THEIR INTEREST.

WHAT MAKES THIS EXCITING FOR US

IS THAT KNOW THAT WE HAVE A

DISTINCT MISSION.

PRITZKER AND THE DEMOCRAT PARTY

HAVE FAILED ILLINOIS.

BEEN SERVING FOR THREE YEARS

NOW.

PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT.

THE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT IS ALIVE

AND WELL WE HAVE 20,000

SIGNATURES TO TURN IN AND WE'RE

PROUD OF THAT AND WE THINK THAT

REFLECTS OUR MOVEMENT.

>> WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS

SPEAKER MADIGAN IS THE SYMPTOM

HE IS NOT THE CAUSE OF

CORRUPTION IN ILLINOIS.

WE NEED A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN

OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM AND IT

STARTS REALLY WITH VOTERS

ELECTING CANDIDATES AND

OFFICIALS THAT ARE TRUSTWORTHY.

>> REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR

ILLINOIS' GOVERNOR IS AMONG THE

CROWDED CONTESTS YOU SHOULD SEE

ON THE BALLOT.

BUT THERE ARE RACES FOR

CONGRESS, FOR SECRETARY OF

STATE, AND ALSO FOR COOK COUNTY

SHERIFF.

ONE CHALLENGER RUNNING FOR

SHERIFF GOT TEARY TALKING ABOUT

THE GRAVITY OF SUBMITTING THE

ELECTION PAPERWORK AND WHAT IS

AT STAKE IS HER CAMPAIGN IS NOW

REALLY BEGINNING.

>> THIS IS A HUMAN JOB.

THIS IS A POSITION ABOUT PEOPLE.

IF YOU LOSE, THAT EMPATHY, YOU

CANNOT CONNECT.

>> THAT FIRST TIME CANDIDATE

EMOTIONAL, EXCITED BUT AS WE

NOTED EARLIER, SOME CANDIDATES

HAVE REALLY BEEN SAYING IT'S

BEEN TOUGH TO GET THE REQUIRED

SIGNATURES AND THAT IS

ESPECIALLY THE CASE OFTEN FOR

FIRST-TIMERS WHO LACK MONEY AND

WHO LACK POLITICAL

ORGANIZATIONS, HELPERS TO GO

DOOR-TO-DOOR TO GET THE

SIGNATURES.

THOSE CANDIDATES HAVE ANOTHER

WEEK TO GET THAT JOB JOB.