Know Your Illinois Ballot

Every race, judge and question on your Nov 3, 2026 Illinois ballot, explained before you vote. Free, open source and non-partisan, built on Govbot.

Illinois general election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Candidate lists as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

Key dates

Sun, Oct 18
Last day to register online. After this, register in person when you vote, with two IDs.
Mon, Oct 19 (Chicago voters)
Early voting opens at all 50 ward sites.
Thu, Oct 29
Last day to apply for a mail ballot.
Mon, Nov 2
Last day of early voting.
Tue, Nov 3
Election Day. Polls open 6am–7pm.

The statewide races in Illinois

United States Senator

One of Illinois’ two U.S. senators; only this seat is on the ballot this year, so you pick 1. Votes on federal laws, confirms federal judges and cabinet members, and approves treaties. 6-year term.

Governor & Lieutenant Governor

Runs Illinois’ executive branch: proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills, appoints agency heads. Governor and lieutenant governor run as a team. 4-year term.

Attorney General

Illinois’ top lawyer. Represents the state in court and enforces consumer-protection, civil-rights and public-access laws. 4-year term.

Secretary of State

Runs driver’s licenses, ID cards and vehicle registration, and keeps the state’s official records. 4-year term.

Comptroller

The state’s bill-payer and bookkeeper: pays Illinois’ bills and reports on its finances. 4-year term.

Treasurer

Manages and invests the state’s money and runs programs like unclaimed property and college savings. 4-year term.

How an Illinois ballot works

Three parts. Candidates by office, in the order the Board of Elections sets (federal first, then state, county, judges and school board); the judges up for retention; then the referenda.

No straight-party box. Illinois dropped it: every race is marked on its own.

Ballot numbers. On a Chicago ballot each candidate has a number; the print view lists them so you can find names fast in the booth. Suburban Cook ballots order candidates differently.

“Vote for not more than N.” Some contests (the Water Reclamation District, some judicial vacancies) fill several seats at once; pick up to that many.

Keep these judges? Retention is a yes or no on each sitting judge, with no opponent; a judge stays with at least 60% yes.

Referenda. Yes or no on each question; which ones you see depends on your ward or precinct.

Common questions

When is the Illinois general election in 2026?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls open 6am–7pm.

What are the key dates and deadlines for voting in Illinois on November 3, 2026?

Sun, Oct 18: Last day to register online. After this, register in person when you vote, with two IDs. Mon, Oct 19: Early voting opens at all 50 ward sites (Chicago voters). Thu, Oct 29: Last day to apply for a mail ballot. Mon, Nov 2: Last day of early voting. Tue, Nov 3: Election Day. Polls open 6am–7pm.

What is on the Illinois ballot on November 3, 2026?

Every Illinois voter votes on United States Senator, Governor & Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller and Treasurer. Depending on your address you also vote in your own district's contests (17 U.S. House districts, 39 state Senate districts and 118 state House districts in the state). This guide also covers 29 local ballot questions, which appear only on some ballots, depending on the voter's county, city, ward or precinct. This guide covers every contest on any Chicago or suburban Cook County ballot.

Who is running for United States Senator in Illinois in 2026?

Don Tracy (Republican); Juliana Stratton (Democratic); Whitfield Harrington Jr (American Center Party). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the United States Senator do in Illinois?

One of Illinois’ two U.S. senators; only this seat is on the ballot this year, so you pick 1. Votes on federal laws, confirms federal judges and cabinet members, and approves treaties. 6-year term.

Who is running for Governor & Lieutenant Governor in Illinois in 2026?

Darren Bailey & Aaron B. Del Mar (Republican); JB Pritzker & Christian Mitchell (Democratic, incumbent); Collin Corbett & Carolyn Schofield (Independent). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the Governor & Lieutenant Governor do in Illinois?

Runs Illinois’ executive branch: proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills, appoints agency heads. Governor and lieutenant governor run as a team. 4-year term.

Who is running for Attorney General in Illinois in 2026?

Robert W. Fioretti (Republican); Kwame Raoul (Democratic, incumbent). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the Attorney General do in Illinois?

Illinois’ top lawyer. Represents the state in court and enforces consumer-protection, civil-rights and public-access laws. 4-year term.

Who is running for Secretary of State in Illinois in 2026?

Diane M. Harris (Republican); Alexi Giannoulias (Democratic, incumbent). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the Secretary of State do in Illinois?

Runs driver’s licenses, ID cards and vehicle registration, and keeps the state’s official records. 4-year term.

Who is running for Comptroller in Illinois in 2026?

Bryan Drew (Republican); Margaret Croke (Democratic). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the Comptroller do in Illinois?

The state’s bill-payer and bookkeeper: pays Illinois’ bills and reports on its finances. 4-year term.

Who is running for Treasurer in Illinois in 2026?

Max Solomon (Republican); Michael W. Frerichs (Democratic, incumbent). Candidate list as of 2026-09-11. Confirm your own ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup.

What does the Treasurer do in Illinois?

Manages and invests the state’s money and runs programs like unclaimed property and college savings. 4-year term.

How does an Illinois ballot work?

Three parts. Candidates by office, in the order the Board of Elections sets (federal first, then state, county, judges and school board); the judges up for retention; then the referenda. No straight-party box. Illinois dropped it: every race is marked on its own. Ballot numbers. On a Chicago ballot each candidate has a number; the print view lists them so you can find names fast in the booth. Suburban Cook ballots order candidates differently. “Vote for not more than N.” Some contests (the Water Reclamation District, some judicial vacancies) fill several seats at once; pick up to that many. Keep these judges? Retention is a yes or no on each sitting judge, with no opponent; a judge stays with at least 60% yes. Referenda. Yes or no on each question; which ones you see depends on your ward or precinct.

How do I find my own ballot and polling place in Illinois?

Your exact ballot depends on your address. Enter it on this page to see yours, then confirm your registration, polling place and ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections voter lookup (https://ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx).

What is Know Your Ballot?

A free, open-source voter guide for the November 3, 2026 general election in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Enter an address and see your exact ballot: every race, judge and question, what each job does, who is running and who is funding them. It is built on Govbot, Chi Hack Night’s open civic data.

Is Know Your Ballot nonpartisan, and where do its facts come from?

It is nonpartisan: it never recommends or rates a candidate. Every fact names its source next to it: official candidate lists where the state or county publishes one, FEC and state campaign-finance records for money, and Ballotpedia and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) for profiles and incumbents. A candidate’s own words are quoted verbatim with their date and a link.

Enter your address in the guide to see your own ballot, including your district's races and judges. All states · Michigan · Minnesota · Wisconsin