Nomination of independent candidates (not candidates of any political party), for any office to be filled by the voters of the State at large may also be made by nomination papers signed in the aggregate for each candidate by 1% of the number of voters who voted in the next preceding Statewide general election or 25,000 qualified voters of the State, whichever is less. Nominations of independent candidates for public office within any district or political subdivision less than the State, may be made by nomination papers signed in the aggregate for each candidate by qualified voters of such district, or political subdivision, equaling not less than 5%, nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the number of persons, who voted at the next preceding regular elec
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Nomination of independent candidates (not candidates of any political party), for any office to be filled by the voters of the State at large may also be made by nomination papers signed in the aggregate for each candidate by 1% of the number of voters who voted in the next preceding Statewide general election or 25,000 qualified voters of the State, whichever is less. Nominations of independent candidates for public office within any district or political subdivision less than the State, may be made by nomination papers signed in the aggregate for each candidate by qualified voters of such district, or political subdivision, equaling not less than 5%, nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the number of persons, who voted at the next preceding regular election in such district or political subdivision in which such district or political subdivision voted as a unit for the election of officers to serve its respective territorial area. However, whenever the minimum signature requirement for an independent candidate petition for a district or political subdivision office shall exceed the minimum number of signatures for an independent candidate petition for an office to be filled by the voters of the State at large at the next preceding State-wide general election, such State-wide petition signature requirement shall be the minimum for an independent candidate petition for such district or political subdivision office. For the first election following a redistricting of congressional districts, nomination papers for an independent candidate for congressperson shall be signed by at least 5,000 qualified voters of the congressional district. For the first election following a redistricting of legislative districts, nomination papers for an independent candidate for State Senator in the General Assembly shall be signed by at least 3,000 qualified voters of the legislative district. For the first election following a redistricting of representative districts, nomination papers for an independent candidate for State Representative in the General Assembly shall be signed by at least 1,500 qualified voters of the representative district. For the first election following redistricting of county board districts, or of municipal wards or districts, or for the first election following the initial establishment of such districts or wards in a county or municipality, nomination papers for an independent candidate for county board member, or for alderperson or trustee of such municipality, shall be signed by qualified voters of the district or ward equal to not less than 5% nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the total number of votes cast at the preceding general or general municipal election, as the case may be, for the county or municipal office voted on throughout such county or municipality for which the greatest total number of votes were cast for all candidates, divided by the number of districts or wards, but in any event not less than 25 qualified voters of the district or ward. Each voter signing a nomination paper shall add to his signature his place of residence, and each voter may subscribe to one nomination for such office to be filled, and no more: Provided that the name of any candidate whose name may appear in any other place upon the ballot shall not be so added by petition for the same office. The person circulating the petition, or the candidate on whose behalf the petition is circulated, may strike any signature from the petition, provided that; (1) the person striking the signature shall initial the petition at the place where the signature is struck; and (2) the person striking the signature shall sign a certification listing the page number and line number of each signature struck from the petition. Such certification shall be filed as a part of the petition. (3) the persons striking signatures from the petition shall each sign an additional certificate specifying the number of certification pages listing stricken signatures which are attached to the petition and the page numbers indicated on such certifications. The certificate shall be filed as a part of the petition, shall be numbered, and shall be attached immediately following the last page of voters' signatures and before the certifications of stricken signatures. (4) all of the foregoing requirements shall be necessary to effect a valid striking of any signature. The provisions of this Section authorizing the striking of signatures shall not impose any criminal liability on any person so authorized for signatures which may be fraudulent. In the case of the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor a joint petition including one candidate for each of those offices must be filed. A candidate for whom a nomination paper has been filed as a partisan candidate at a primary election, and who is defeated for his or her nomination at the primary election, is ineligible to be placed on the ballot as an independent candidate for election in that general or consolidated election. A candidate seeking election to an office for which candidates of political parties are nominated by caucus who is a participant in the caucus and who is defeated for his or her nomination at such caucus, is ineligible to be listed on the ballot at that general or consolidated election as an independent candidate.