Candidate Real Talk: Getting Signatures

Most Chicagoans won't pay much attention to the school board races until after Labor Day. But right now, candidates are facing a high hurdle: getting enough petition signatures to earn a spot on the ballot. Board Rule spoke with two candidates about their experiences.

At least one candidate who ran last time and failed to meet the signature requirement is trying again. And he encourages more people to give it a try.

"Anyone who is even slightly thinking about becoming a school board member should jump in," said District 7B candidate Jesus Ayala, Jr. "Giving people more choice is going to be a good thing. I think it has the potential to elevate the conversation so it doesn't just become the Chicago Teachers Union versus charter school billionaires."

Ayala ran in District 7 last time, but his candidacy did not survive a challenge to his petition signatures. Verifying petition signatures in Chicago has long been a blood sport, with candidates challenging each other's signatures in hopes of narrowing the field. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners is the only election authority in the state that pays for handwriting experts to check signatures.

In the 2024 cycle, the districts were twice as large, and each candidate was required to present 1,000 valid signatures from registered voters living in the district. Ayala was ill-prepared for the process then, but he understands it now. "Once you go through the verification process, they're really honing in on, does this person live at the address they said they live at, and does their signature look like the signature they used when they registered to vote?"

Last time, he brought in about 2,000 signatures, far below the max allowed of 3,000. As a first-time candidate, he learned the hard way why getting the maximum number of allowable signatures matters. "There were some signatures thrown out that were legitimate. ... When all was said and done, I was left with 905 signatures." He considered trying to chase down 95 legitimate voters whose signatures were knocked off the ballot in the challenge, "but that seemed impossible work in two weeks' time."

This time, candidates running for district seats are only required to present 500 valid signatures from registered voters who live in their district. They may not present more than 1500 signatures. Ayala advises going for the max to provide a cushion in case of signature challenges. Candidates for board president must present a minimum of 2,500 valid signatures from registered voters citywide.

For any last-minute candidates who want to take Ayala's advice and jump in, the candidate handbook lays out the requirements and links to a sample nominating petition form to collect signatures.

'I'm Winging It Here'

Cydney Wallace, incumbent appointed board member in District 8B, is also gathering signatures for her campaign to win the elected seat. This is her first run for a school board seat, but she previously launched a candidacy for Police District Council 8, only to fall short of the required signatures after being challenged.

"I've always enjoyed canvassing," said Wallace. "It's great to get out and get to know all my neighbors." She's met whole families who attended the same neighborhood school; in one case, Brighton Park's Burroughs Elementary, and in another, Seward Elementary in Back of the Yards. "People give neighborhood schools a whole lot of grief, but they really meet a lot of people's needs," she observed.

Wallace said canvassing has been an opportunity to raise awareness about the school board and the upcoming elections. "They don't really know what the school board does," she said. She starts her pitch for a petition signature by mentioning the upcoming elections and introducing herself as the current board member for the district. "Explaining to people why they have a choice and why they have a stake is fun," she said. "Even if you don't have children in CPS, or children at all, you still have skin in the game. Do you pay taxes? Well, then, you have a stake in this journey."

People ask where she stands on the issues, including "a lot of questions about where I stand on charters," she said. Her response: "I am for my charter students and parents. I don't always agree with how charters are run."

Most people she encounters have been willing to sign, she said. "There have only been a couple of people who didn't want to sign, and it was because of my connection with [Mayor] Brandon [Johnson]."

Wallace tries to be tactful in letting folks know they have to be registered voters to sign a ballot petition. "I don't want to walk up and ask, 'Are you registered?'" Instead, she lets interested people know to sign the same way they signed when they registered to vote, and "that will pause" folks who aren't registered.

While some candidates for office have poll sheets of registered voters and sophisticated strategies to collect signatures, she's taking a more grassroots approach. "I have a couple of friends who have really taken point on a couple of things," she said. "I'm winging it here." Allied board members have been offering support, including board members Ángel Vélez and Karen Zaccor, who are joining her for canvassing.

Candidate Events

This is Board Rule's first shot at a roundup of candidate events for the month. Expect another one in June, and beyond.

Jitu Brown: Campaign Fundraiser (and milestone birthday celebration), Saturday, May 9, 4334 W. Madison, 8 p.m.

Jennifer Custer: Campaign Fundraiser, Thursday, May 21, Hubbard Inn, 5:30 p.m.

Jason Dónes: Petition Canvass, Saturday, May 9, 1746 N. Kimball, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sign up here.

Debby Pope: Petition Canvass, Wednesday, May 13, Andersonville Farmers Market (Winona & Clark), 3-7 p.m. Sign up here.

Cydney Wallace: Rally and Petition Canvass, Saturday, May 9, McKinley Park, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Candidates: to have your June events listed in a future newsletter, please email information to maureen.boardrule@gmail.com.

Jobs

CPS is hiring for an assistant inspector general and an assistant deputy general counsel for school law, particularly special education.

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