Elections 2026
Your vote is your voice in shaping the community you live in. Midterms decide who represents Chicago in Congress, who leads Cook county, who writes our laws and determines our future. Politics builds from the bottom up and it starts with your ballot.
Resources and Actions
Key Dates
March 2, 2026: First day of early voting.
March 12, 2026: Last day to request a mail-in ballot. Apply here before 5pm.
March 16, 2026: Last day of early voting.
March 17, 2026: Primary election day - this is the last day to return or postmark mail-in ballot. IMPORTANT: As of January 1, 2026, the USPS changed when mail is postmarked. Instead of mail being postmarked the date that the mail was received by the USPS, the postmark will reflect that date that mail is processed. If you plan on mailing your ballot in with the USPS, do it at least one or days sooner.
November 3, 2026: General election day
Voting Methods and How to Use Them
In-person
Early in-person voting: any voter in Chicago can vote at any Early Voting. Vote at your convenience. Find early voting locations and times at Chicago Elections early voting page.
On Election Day: Find your polling place with the Illinois elections polling place lookup tool.
Absentee/Mail-in voting
Mail in ballots can be submitted to the USPS, dropped off at any early voting site into a secure drop box. If you are submitting your ballot to the USPS, please do so early since the USPS no longer postmarks mail when it is received.
If you want to vote in person instead of by mail, review the options in the in-person section above and bring your mail-in ballot with. If you have not received your mail-in ballot you will have to sign an affidavit before voting.
Finding Candidates and Ballot Measures
Candidate research
See our own endorsements.
WTTW has a voter guide for the 2026 primaries that is a great resources for getting to know the candidates. Access th guide here.