Illinois 2026 election live updates as voting begins for governor, Senate, House and Chicago school board races
Illinois voters head to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026, to pick their governor, new U.S. senator, new representatives in the U.S. House and Chicago's first-ever elected school board and school board president.
What to know for 2026 Illinois midterm election
- In the race for Illinois governor, incumbent Democrat JB Pritzker is facing off against his last Republican opponent, former state senator Darren Bailey. If Pritzker wins, he will be the first Democrat ever elected to a third term. Independent candidate Collin Corbett is also on the ballot.
- Longtime Democratic U.S. Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin will replaced either by fellow Democrat and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, or her Republican opponent and former Illinois GOP chairman Don Tracy. Independent Whitfield Harrington is also on the ballot.
- Four Democratic incumbents in Congress are giving up their seats in Illinois' 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th, ushering in at least four new representatives for Illinois. Democrats are trying to regain a majority in Congress as President Trump's approval ratings continue to fall.
- For the first time ever, Chicago is electing a school board president. Three candidates are vying for that position on city voters' ballots.
Cook County voter turnout ahead of Election Day
Over 250,000 suburban voters have cast early ballots, according to the Cook County Clerk.
Cook County officials reported that nearly 107,000 mail ballots were returned. Officials said there are "an additional 11,000 ballots currently in the U.S. Postal Service pipeline."
This is a 31% increase from early voting turnout reported in 2022 in Cook County.
Illinois ail ballots postmarked by Election Day may be received and counted for up to 14 days after the election.
Key decisions as voters head to the polls
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Illinois allows what's called "grace period voter registration" which includes registering to vote on Election Day. Traditional voter registration ends 28 days before an election, but the grace period is Illinois' extension of voter registration from the 27th day before an election through Election Day.
You will need to bring two forms of ID with you to register to vote on Election Day, just like when you register before Election Day. Those forms of identification include but are not limited to a driver's license, a state-issued non-driver's license identification card, a bank statement, a lease or residence contract, and utility bills from the last 30 days. At least one of them must show your current address.
Once you're registered at your polling place, you can go cast your ballot in the midterm.
Election Day registration can only be done in-person; not by mail, or online. Many early voting sites also offer Election Day voter registration; see the full list here.
Do I need an ID to vote in Illinois?
Illinois voters don't generally need to show their ID to vote — as long as they're already registered.
If you've already registered to vote at your current address and have voted previously while living there (including in this year's March primary), you won't need to show ID at the polls. You only need to sign a document to ensure your signature matches the voter signature on file for you.
But if you haven't yet registered to vote and are registering on-site, or you're voting for the first time, you may need to show ID. To be safe, you should bring two forms of ID, neither of which have to be a photo ID. One should show your current address like your rental lease, your mortgage documents, or a utility bill from the last 30 days. The other can be a driver's license or state ID, a student ID, bank statement, FOID card, passport, or similar document proving your identity.
You can also bring the voter ID card you were sent in the mail when you registered to vote.
It's Election Day in Illinois
After hotly contested primaries, months of campaigning and weeks of early voting, it's Election Day in Illinois for the 2026 midterms.
Polls open across the state at 6 a.m., and will remain open until 7 p.m.
On the ballot are races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Chicago's first elected school board president, and dozens of state house and senate seats.
The midterm election will determine the balance of power in Congress for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump's term. Voters have listed the cost of living, the war with Iran, tariffs, inflation and even artificial intelligence as top priorities for this election.