Early voting for Illinois’ 2026 general election is due to begin across the Chicago area this week, giving voters the chance to cast ballots before polling day on Tuesday, November 3.
The Illinois State Board of Elections lists Thursday, September 24 as the first day on which early voting may begin at election authority offices and designated temporary sites. Local authorities will then add further venues as the election approaches. ([elections.il.gov](https://www.elections.il.gov/Main/CalendarEventDetail.aspx?Date=b3F%2Bs5yMft0tK7TbwY4bbAysQjQYKNrS&utm_source=openai))
Voters will be choosing candidates for local, state and federal offices, with voting available in person or by post. In-person early voting is scheduled to continue until Monday, November 2, while polling stations will be open from 6am to 7pm on Election Day. ([elections.il.gov](https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/VotingByMail.aspx?utm_source=openai))
Chicago early voting dates and locations
In Chicago, the first early voting facilities are expected to open at two central locations, including the downtown supersite at 137 South State Street and the voting facility at 69 West Washington Street.
Early voting is due to expand across all 50 wards from Monday, October 19. Chicago voters may use any early voting site in the city, regardless of where they live.
The city’s election authorities have said the sites will be accessible to voters with disabilities. Ballots are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian and Russian.
Chicago residents wishing to vote by post must apply by Thursday, October 29. Completed ballots can be returned by post or delivered to the Chicago Board of Elections office at 69 West Washington Street.
Statewide, applications for vote-by-mail ballots must reach the relevant election authority by October 29. The first day for election authorities to mail ballots to eligible applicants is September 24. ([elections.il.gov](https://www.elections.il.gov/Main/CalendarEventDetail.aspx?Date=b3F%2Bs5yMft0tK7TbwY4bbAysQjQYKNrS&utm_source=openai))
Suburban counties
In suburban Cook County, early voting is scheduled to begin on October 7 at six initial sites, including courthouses in Bridgeview, Markham, Maywood, Rolling Meadows and Skokie, as well as the Cook County Clerk’s office in downtown Chicago.
The county is due to add more locations from October 19, with voters able to consult the clerk’s published schedule for opening times and venues.
DeKalb County is scheduled to open early voting on September 24 at the Legislative Centre in Sycamore. Further sites, including venues in Kingston, DeKalb, Sandwich and at Northern Illinois University, are due to be added from October 19.
DuPage County plans to begin at temporary sites on September 24, including locations in Addison, Bartlett, Downers Grove, Wheaton and Naperville. Additional venues are expected to operate from October 19 until the day before the election.
In Kane County, early voting will start on September 24 at the county clerk’s main office in Geneva and its satellite office in Aurora. Voting is then due to expand to permanent polling locations across the county from October 18.
Grundy County will open early voting at the county courthouse in Morris from September 24, while McHenry County is due to begin at its Elections Centre in Woodstock on the same day. McHenry plans to add sites in communities including Algonquin, Cary, Crystal Lake, Huntley, McHenry and Woodstock from October 19.
Lake County is scheduled to open at the County Clerk’s Office in Waukegan on September 24, with further locations expected to become available from October 19. Will County will also begin at its clerk’s office in Joliet on September 24 before expanding to more than 20 sites across the county.
Those additional venues include public libraries, municipal buildings, township offices and recreation centres in communities such as Bolingbrook, Frankfort, Naperville, Plainfield, Romeoville and Joliet.
Opening hours vary by county and by location, and some schedules remain subject to confirmation by local election officials. Voters are advised to check their county clerk or election board before travelling to a polling site, particularly during the first days of early voting.
