Challenging ballot petitions, a Chicago political tradition, may be on its way out

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) watches as his mayoral nominating petitions are processed by elections officials in November. An objection to Sawyer’s petitions was filed but later dropped. In all, 113 such objections were filed against candidates in this year’s municipal election, the lowest such figure since 1983, a WBEZ analysis found. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

Every municipal election, candidates, lawyers and election officials alike gear up for a weekslong slog of resolving dozens — even hundreds, in some years — of nominating petition challenges, a longstanding Chicago tradition to knock candidates off the ballot.

But many were surprised this election cycle to find things were much quieter than they had expected.