Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Illinois
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Illinois, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Illinois State Board of Elections or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Sunday, October 18
Online registration through the State Board of Elections website closes Sunday, October 18 (10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5(l)).
- Register by mail by
Tuesday, October 6
Postmarked by October 6 (close of regular registration). With no or an illegible postmark, it counts if received within five days. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, October 6
Close of regular registration at the election authority's office. After that, grace-period registration and voting runs October 7 through Election Day. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Grace-period registration and voting runs from October 7 through Election Day, including at polling places on Election Day; counties under 100,000 without electronic poll books may instead offer it only at designated sites (10 ILCS 5/4-50).
- Early voting
Thursday, September 24 to Monday, November 2
Early voting begins September 24 at the election authority's office and any temporary sites; permanent polling places other than that office open October 19. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- How early voting works
Sites and hours are set by each county or city election authority; permanent early voting sites must be open weekends and holidays from October 19.
Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Request a mail ballot by
Thursday, October 29
Mailed or online applications must be received by October 29; in person at the election authority's office through November 2. ISBE '2026 Vote-By-Mail Frequently Asked Questions' (rev. 8/2026), linked from the Board's home page.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Postmarked by November 3 and received by November 17 (14 days after). Drop boxes and in-person return close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling places. ISBE '2026 Vote-By-Mail Frequently Asked Questions' (rev. 8/2026), linked from the Board's home page.
- Election Day polling hours
6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Central time. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
Any registered voter may vote by mail; voters can also apply for permanent vote-by-mail status. ISBE '2026 Vote-By-Mail Frequently Asked Questions' (rev. 8/2026), linked from the Board's home page.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Offered by about half of election authorities, not all.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Counted if postmarked by Election Day and received by Tuesday, November 17
Yes: ballots postmarked (or certified, or barcode-tracked as mailed) by Election Day are counted if received by November 17. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld such grace periods in Watson v. RNC (June 2026). Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
ID at the polls
- The rule
No ID needed for most voters
No ID is asked of most voters; identity is checked by signature. First-time voters who registered by mail without a verified ID number, and anyone using grace-period or Election Day registration, must show ID.
- What to bring
Most voters do not need to show ID; your signature is checked. First-time voters who registered by mail without a verified ID number, and people registering during the grace period or on Election Day, must show identification.
The exact list of accepted documents for grace-period registration was not confirmed from an official 2026 page.
When will we know results in Illinois?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
7 p.m. Central time — 8 p.m. Eastern
Central time; the whole state is in one time zone.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
on receipt
Election authorities may process mail ballots as they arrive. ISBE '2026 Vote-By-Mail Frequently Asked Questions' (rev. 8/2026), linked from the Board's home page.
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
No totals may be tabulated until polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day; the same rule applies to early votes. ISBE '2026 Vote-By-Mail Frequently Asked Questions' (rev. 8/2026), linked from the Board's home page.
- Counties finish their count by
Tuesday, November 24
Last day for election authorities to canvass. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- State certifies results
Friday, December 4
Last day for the State Board of Elections to canvass and proclaim results. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Automatic recount
None
No automatic recount. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Requested recount
A candidate who came within 5% of a winner may petition for a discovery recount within 5 days after the proclamation; five voters may do the same for a public question. A discovery recount does not change the result by itself; it supports an election contest in court.
10 ILCS 5/22-9.1. Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
- Runoff
No general election runoff; the plurality winner takes office.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A constitutional amendment passes with three-fifths of those voting on it, or a majority of everyone voting in the election.
Illinois Constitution, Article XIV. Advisory questions need a simple majority.
- New governor takes office
Monday, January 11, 2027
Statewide executive officers' terms begin (Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 2). Illinois State Board of Elections 2026 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar (amended July 9, 2025), read from a county-hosted copy; the Board's own site serves it only through an encrypted link.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections.