A petition to recall Urbana Mayor Bill Bean has been certified by the Champaign County Board of Elections, officially moving the recall effort to the next stage.
Bean has been notified of the certification and has until Friday afternoon to voluntarily resign from office.
If Bean resigns, the president of Urbana City Council will serve as acting mayor until a replacement is appointed. The recall election would not move forward.
If Bean does not resign by the deadline, the recall question will appear on the November General Election ballot.
The recall election would include two questions for voters. The first asks whether Mayor Bean should be removed from office. If a majority of voters approve the recall, voters will then choose a replacement mayor to serve the remainder of the current term, which runs through 2027.
Candidates interested in running for mayor must file nominating petitions with the Champaign County Board of Elections. Candidates must collect at least 169 valid signatures, but no more than three times that amount, and submit their petitions by August 5.
The Board of Elections will review and certify qualified candidates by August 13.
There will be no write-in candidates allowed in the recall election. Only candidates who complete the petition process and are certified by the Board of Elections will appear on the ballot.
If voters reject the recall, Bean will remain mayor and continue serving the remainder of his term. If voters approve the recall, the candidate who receives the most votes in the replacement election will become mayor and serve through the end of the current term in 2027.
The recall effort moved forward after petitioners submitted more than enough valid signatures to the Champaign County Board of Elections. Unless Bean resigns before Friday’s deadline, Urbana voters will decide in November whether he should remain in office.
