Illinois: what's on the November 3, 2026 ballot
Every candidate below is listed alphabetically, with party shown as text only. Open a name for their stated positions, background and recent news, each with sources.
Open Illinois on the mapKey dates
- Early voting: September 24, 2026 to November 2, 2026. Early voting begins statewide on September 24. Hours and locations are set by each county or city election authority.
- Voter registration deadline: October 6, 2026. October 6 is the last day for regular registration and the postmark deadline for mail registration. Online registration closes 2026-10-18. Grace-period registration, including same-day registration, is open from 2026-10-07 through Election Day at designated sites. You need two forms of ID to register in person.
- Last day to request a mail ballot: October 29, 2026. Mail and online applications must be received by October 29. You can apply in person at your election authority through 2026-11-02. Ballots must be postmarked by 2026-11-03 and received by 2026-11-17.
- Election Day: November 3, 2026. Polls are open 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Official election information: Illinois State Board of Elections
Who's running
Only the U.S. Senate and governor races are loaded so far. Other statewide offices, ballot measures, U.S. House and local races aren't loaded yet. Check your sample ballot for the full list.
United States Senator
This is an open seat for a six-year term because incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin is not running again.
Some details of this race couldn't be confirmed. Check your sample ballot.
- Whitfield Harrington Jr. American Center · Open seat
Whitfield Harrington Jr. is a Chicago pastor who grew up in Belzoni, Mississippi, and now lives in Schaumburg. He founded the American Center Party as a state party and filed with… - Juliana Stratton Democratic · Open seat
Juliana Stratton is the Democratic nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. Incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin is retiring. She has been Illinois' lieutenant governor under… - Don Tracy Republican · Open seat
Don Tracy is the Republican nominee for Illinois's open U.S. Senate seat in the November 3, 2026 general election. He ran in the March 17, 2026 Republican primary. On October 20,…
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on a joint ticket for a four-year term. Incumbent Governor JB Pritzker is running for a third term. Running mates: Christian Mitchell (Pritzker), Aaron Del Mar (Bailey) and Carolyn Schofield (Corbett).
Some details of this race couldn't be confirmed. Check your sample ballot.
- Darren Bailey Republican · Challenger
Darren Bailey is a farmer from southern Illinois and a former Illinois state representative and state senator. He was the Republican nominee for governor in 2022 and lost to JB… - Collin Corbett Independent · Challenger
Collin Corbett is a political strategist from Palatine who worked for Republicans before leaving the party, and he is running for Illinois governor as an independent. He filed his… - JB Pritzker Democratic · Incumbent
JB Pritzker is the Democratic Governor of Illinois, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, and is running for a third term in the November 3, 2026 general election. He had no…