Nonpartisan Voter Resources
Upcoming Election Calendar - 2026
NEXT ELECTION IN ILLINOIS
General Midterm Election: November 3, 2026
A general election is an election in which candidates are elected to offices. This is in contrast to a primary election, which is used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election.
August 5, 2025: First day to apply for a vote by mail ballot.
September 24, 2026: First day to vote early or by mail. Check with your local election authority for details.
October 6, 2026: Last day for regular (paper) voter registration. Online voter registration remains open.
October 7, 2026: First day of grace period for in-person voter registration and voting at election authority and early voting sites; continues through Election Day.
October 18, 2026: Last day for online voter registration. Grace period registration is still available in person at election authority and early voting sites.
October 29, 2026: Last day for election authority to receive vote by mail applications.
November 3, 2026: Election Day! Polls are open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Frequently Asked Election Questions
The election process can be confusing. Below are selected frequently asked questions as seen on the Chicago Board of Elections FAQ page. Follow this link for the full list of FAQs.
Answer
All eligible voters in Chicago, including those who need to use Election Day registration to register for the first time, file a change of address, or file a name change. To register you must be:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be 18 before or on the date of the General Election (11/3/2026)
- 16-year-olds may pre-register to vote online by using the Illinois State Board of Elections website and will have their application held in abeyance until voting age.
- live in your precinct at least 30 days before the election
- not claim the right to vote elsewhere
- not be in prison/jail serving time for a conviction. (Note: Ex-convicts who have been released from prison/jail and who meet all other requirements listed above are eligible to register and vote in Illinois. Ex-convicts who have been released and are on parole/probation ARE eligible to register and vote in Illinois.)
Up for election:
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United States Senator
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Governor/Lieutenant Governor
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Attorney General
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Secretary of State
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State Comptroller
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State Treasurer
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Regional Superintendent of Schools
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Representatives in Congress: All districts
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State Senators: Districts 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59
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State Representatives: All districts
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Sanitary District Commissioners and Trustees
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Judges: Supreme Court, Appellate Court, Circuit Court, Resident Circuit Court, Subcircuits
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Forest Preserve District Commissioners and President
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County Clerks
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County Treasurers
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County Sheriff
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County Assessors
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County Board Members (under township organization)
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County Commissioners (not under township organization)
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If you moved to your current address at least 30 days before Election Day, vote at the precinct polling place for your new/current address. You may update your registration and vote at your new precinct polling place with two forms of ID, at least one of which shows your current address.
If you moved within Chicago less than 30 days before Election Day, vote at the precinct polling place for your old address.
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You do not need ID if you are already registered to vote and your signature matches the one on file and there are no questions about your registration. However, there are times when you do need identification, such as registering to vote or updating the name or address on your registration in person when you go to vote.
Learn more about IDs here.
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If you have not cast your ballot yet and you notice a mistake in your selection on the touch screen, go back and touch that choice again and then make the selection that you meant to make. If you make a mistake on a paper ballot, you must ask the judge to spoil that ballot and get a new paper ballot.
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No. Once a voter casts a ballot, the voter cannot cast another ballot. Attempting to vote more than once in the same election is a felony.
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If using a touchscreen voting machine, you may choose one of 12 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian.
If Voting By Mail, you may choose one of 7 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, and Tagalog.
If voting a paper ballot in your precinct on Election Day, you may have different language options based on your precinct. Please click here for more information.
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Yes, employees are entitled to two hours off work, if:
- The employee gives the employer notice, prior to election day (the Election Code does not specify what type of notice is required);
- The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may be absent;
- The employer must permit a 2-hour absence during hours if the employee’s working time begins before 7:59 a.m. (within two hours of the open of polls) and the working time ends after 5:01 p.m. (within two hours of the close of polls).
No employer shall refuse an employee the privilege of time off from work nor subject the employee to a penalty, including a reduction in compensation due to such an absence from work.
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A registered voter who is hospitalized not more than 14 days before an election may request a Vote By Mail ballot.
- This application must be completed by the voter, the voter’s attending physician and the voter’s representative (a relative or another registered voter from the same precinct).
- The completed application may be submitted in person at 69 W Washington, 8th Floor or by email to votebymail@chicagoelections.gov
- The voter’s representative will be responsible for picking up the ballot at 69 W. Washington, 8th Floor, delivering the ballot to the voter, and also returning the voted ballot to 69 W. Washington, 8th Floor.
- If the voter’s application form was submitted by email, the original signed and notarized application form must be submitted with the returned ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
By law, a Vote By Mail ballot cannot by submitted by email or fax.