Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Illinois General Election
Every Illinois voter will see the statewide races below.
Election Day
U.S. House and local races for Illinois are coming soon. To see your full ballot now, use Illinois State Board of Elections.
Statewide races
On every Illinois ballot.
Key dates
- Thu, September 24, 2026: Early voting and mail ballots beginEarly voting opens at the office of your election authority, which may also begin mailing ballots to voters who applied to vote by mail.
- Tue, October 6, 2026: Traditional voter registration deadlineLast day to register through deputy registrars and local election officials. Grace-period registration and voting continue through Election Day.
- Wed, October 7, 2026: Grace-period (same-day) registration and voting beginsEligible residents can register and vote in person at grace-period locations set by their election authority, through Election Day.
- Sun, October 18, 2026: Online voter registration deadlineOnline registration through the State Board of Elections website closes at 11:59 p.m.
- Mon, October 19, 2026: Early voting expands to permanent polling placesAdditional early voting sites open, including on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
- Thu, October 29, 2026: Last day for mailed vote-by-mail applications to be receivedApplications sent by mail must reach your election authority by this date.
- Tue, November 3, 2026: Election DayPolls open 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day; ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive afterward are counted if received by Nov. 17, the last day for election authorities to finish counting them.
Sources: Illinois State Board of Elections: Calendar of events; DeKalb County Clerk & Recorder: Nov. 3, 2026 General Election important dates. Check with your local election office for early-voting hours and locations.