>> The final group of candidates looking to unseat Mayor Brandon Johnson filed thousands of signatures today as they seek to keep him from winning a second term.

Heather Sharon joins us live from the Chicago Board of Elections filing center with the latest on what is shaping up to be a crowded race for the mayor.

Heather, let's break it down.

How many people officially filed to run for Chicago?

Mayor seems like a lot.

>> It is a lot.

It is 15 candidates and that's actually pretty standard for Chicago elections.

Of course, Mayor Brandon Johnson filed his petitions on Friday telling reporters that he had collected 33,000 signatures, but that's less than Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Julius said.

He collected 60,000.

Now, Alexis, Julius was one of the first candidates to Mayor Johnson filed in the middle of the process and then a whole crowd of candidates arrived here today to make sure they were on the ballot.

>> Heather, can you remind us why there was such a mad rush this evening and why some candidates avoided it?

>> Well, everybody in line at 04:00PM outside this old, a storefront was put into a lottery to be last on the ballot.

Now, there are some people who believe that either being first or last on the ballot will give you a little advantage in a crowded race like this one now of the candidates who wanted to be last on the ballot include Cook County Treasurer, Maria Pappas, Cook County Board of Review Member George Cardenas and Daniel Carter Walters, one of the co-founders of Chicago Flipped Red, but other candidates, including Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza opted out of that whole process entirely along with Mayor Johnson Mendoza filed her petitions or early this morning.

She says she collected 26,000.

Now, most people will make sure that they have somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 times, the 12,500 requirement.

Just to make sure that they withstand any challenge.

That's.

>> now despite the flurry of activity this week, the ballot isn't set in stone yet.

What's next?

Heather?

>> Well, now candidates and their campaigns will start scrutinizing those 1006 signatures that are now in the hands of the Chicago Board of election commissioners.

They will be looking for signatures that don't represent registered Chicago voters or they put down the wrong address or they signed more than one petition.

Now, not all if the 15 candidates who filed their petitions today will make the ballot.

This is a tried and true hard and rough tumble part of Chicago elections.

So we will have to see who challenges their kids, their challengers and who gets on the ballot at the end of And I know you're keeping a close eye on this race.

Thank you, Heather.

I sure Thanks,