SB3108 Summary

• Establishes non-partisan elections beginning in 2012 for judges of the Supreme, Appellate, and Circuit Courts, State's Attorneys, and sheriffs without reference to political party affiliation.

• Requires candidates for these offices to circulate and file non-partisan nominating petitions instead of partisan petitions for the general primary ballot.

• Sets minimum petition signature requirements for State's Attorneys and sheriffs at the lesser of 500 signatures (or 3,000 in Cook County) or 0.5% of votes cast in the county at the last general election.

• Limits the number of candidates nominated at the general primary for each of these offices to twice the number of positions to be elected at the general election.

• Creates separate non-partisan ballots for the general primary election for these offices and makes party affiliation declarations optional for absentee ballot applicants requesting only the non-partisan ballot.