Candidate order decided in ballot lottery 

Dec. 7, 2011

Cook County Clerk David Orr and Director of Elections Jan Kralovec conducted a lottery today to determine the candidate ballot positions in the March 20, 2012 Presidential Primary Election.

Candidates competing for the same office who filed simultaneously Nov. 28 at 9 a.m., the onset of candidate filing, were included in the lottery. The lottery was comprised of 19 candidates in eight races. 

At 10:30 a.m., Orr and Kralovec stuffed slips of paper into pill bottles, which were tossed into a fish bowl.

The first lottery was for the Democratic contest for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner. Orr pulled out the bottle containing Stella B. Black's name, securing for her the top ballot position. The slated candidates -- Debra Shore, Kari K. Steele and Patrick Daley Thompson -- were picked second, followed by Patricia Young.

All other candidates who filed to run for office after 9 a.m. on Nov. 28 through Monday's 5 p.m. deadline will appear on the ballot according to the order in which they filed.