ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Illinois election law and the calendar are threatening to make taxpayers say “Bah, humbug” on Christmas Eve.

The combination of an early spring Election Day and legal requirements for candidates wanting their names on the ballot means government offices have to stay open Dec. 24 – and the bureaucrats staffing them will get overtime pay.

“It’s an issue that could be a costly one,” state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, told the
Daily Herald. “It’s a big concern because of the cost of keeping these places open, especially places where they’re already cutting costs.”