March 2026 Election Information
Primary elections will be held Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Here’s what you need to know.
In this post:
IMPORTANT DATES
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE BY MAIL
EARLY VOTING
ELECTION DAY VOTING
SERVE AS A POLLWORKER
IMPORTANT DATES
February 5, 2026: Mail-in ballots begin going out to those who have already applied
February 12, 2026: Early Voting begins downtown
March 2, 2026: Early Voting begins in all 50 wards
March 12, 2026: Vote by Mail application deadline
March 17, 2026: Election Day. Vote in person, mail ballots, or drop mail-in ballots in drop boxes.
REGISTER TO VOTE
There are many ways to register to vote, including at your polling place on election day. If you’d like to register to vote online, March 1 is the last day to do so. Learn more about registering and checking your registration here.
VOTE BY MAIL
The deadline to apply to vote by mail is 5PM on March 12. Apply by mail or through an online form. Learn more here. Note: you can also sign up for the vote-by-mail permanent roster. This ensures that you get mailed a ballot for all future elections
EARLY VOTING
Early voting for the March 17 election begins on February 12 downtown at the following locations:
137 South State Street - NEW LOCATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN SUPERSITE!
69 W. Washington Street, 6th Floor
Early voting across all 50 wards begins on March 2. The 48th Ward site is at the Broadway Armory (5917 N Broadway), but any Chicago voter may vote early at any of the ward sites. See the full list of early voting sites here.
IN-PERSON ELECTION DAY VOTING
On election day, you may vote at any of the early voting sites or at your assigned precinct polling place which you can find here. You may not vote at another precinct polling place. Learn more about marking paper ballots and using electronic voting machines here.
SERVE AS A POLL WORKER
There are many ways to get involved as a pollworker in this year’s primary election:
Early Voting Officials - paid $17/hour to operate and administrate Early Voting sites. Learn more here.
Voter Registrars - volunteer to register voters. Requires training. Learn more here.
Election Day Judges - paid between $170 and $230 to manage the precinct polling place and assist voters. Learn more here.
Election Day Coordinators - paid $450 to run the set-up, operation, and closing of the precinct on Election Day. Requires training. Learn more here.
Poll Watchers - representative of a candidate, political party, civic organization or proposition who is legally in the polling place to observe the conduct of the election. Learn more here.
What’s On the Ballot?
In the March 17 election, Voters will NOMINATE candidates for offices including:
US Senator
Illinois Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Illinois Secretary of State
Representatives in Congress
State Senator
Representatives in the General Assembly
Cook County Clerk
Sheriff of Cook County
Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court Justices
Cook County Circuit and Subcircuit Judges
Voters will ELECT candidates for:
Democratic State Central Committeepersons in each Congressional District
See the full list of offices and questions on the ballot here.
Access an individual sample ballot based on your address here.
Looking for more information on elections and voting? Visit the Chicago Board of Elections Website here.
