Write-in candidates crowd Evanston elections January 20, 2021 For the ten write-in candidates who filed to run for municipal office in Evanston this winter, many are approaching their runs with tempered optimism. The candidates join an already-crowded field of 26 traditional candidates and forced primaries in the 4th and 8th wards as well as the city clerk’s race. Write-in candidates were required to file a Declaration of Intent to be a write-in candidate by Dec. 24, 2020. However, in order to qualify they were not required to petition and receive a certain number of signatures, unlike traditional candidates. Every write-in candidate for city clerk — and some aldermanic write-in candidates — originally planned on running a traditional campaign, but then withdrew.