In the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District), Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (formerly state House 5th District), and Rep. Robin Kelly (2nd District) are competing to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
In the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (previously represented the 2nd District), Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller (6th District), State Sen. Robert Peters (15th District), State Sen. Willie Preston (16th District), and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown, among others, are vying for the open seat.
Voters will also choose nominees for other U.S. House seats, state legislative districts, and a range of countywide and local offices, as well as judicial positions for circuit and appellate courts. Included with this issue is a judicial guide from Injustice Watch. The Weekly will have more election stories in an upcoming issue..
Who can vote
- U.S. citizens
Must be at least eighteen years old on Election Day
- Have lived in your precinct at least thirty days before Election Day
- Have completed a felony prison sentence (you may vote even if you are on parole or probation)
- Residents of Illinois who attend college in another state or residents of another state who attend Illinois colleges
- Are not registered to vote in another state
Registering to vote/Changing address or name
- Regular registration closed twenty-eight days before Election Day (Feb. 17—closed)
- Online registration is open until sixteen days prior to the Election Day
- Grace period registration and voting begin twenty-seven days before Election Day and voters can register in person at designated sites
Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Passport or military ID
- Driver’s license or state ID card
- College, university or work ID
- Vehicle registration card
- Lease or mortgage documents
- Credit or debit card
- Civic, union of professional membership card
- Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid card
- LINK or public aid card
- Illinois FOID card
Voters do not need to show an ID if they are already registered at their current address and voting in their home precinct. When an election judge challenges the person’s right to vote or when a voter submitted a mail-in registration with no Illinois ID, then the voter must submit a form of ID with the voter’s current address. The voter must provide two forms of ID when he or she is filing an address or name change registering in-person in the home precinct.
Mail-in ballots
Illinois offers no-excuse vote-by-mail that allows voters to decide the best voting methods. The Chicago Board of Elections has secured drop boxes for voters to drop off their mail-in ballots at the fifty early voting sites and super-sites. Officials recommend mailing ballots early if using USPS. Changes to USPS transportation operations, which began January 1, mean that some mail will not arrive at processing facilities, where postmarking occurs, on the same day it is sent out. This means if the date the post office processes the mail—not when you drop it off— is the postmarked date for your eligible ballot.
Early Voting
A registered voter can cast a ballot through March 17 at an early voting center or office of the election authority. A registered voter can request absentee voting by mail or sign up to permanently vote by mail.
Early Voting Locations
Supersites (begins February 12, 2026):
- 137 S. State St.
- 69 W. Washington St., 6th floor
Ward voting sites:
1 – 1615 W. Chicago Ave.
2 – 310 W. Division St.
3 – 3901 S. State St.
4 – 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
5 – 6330 S. Stony Island Ave.
6 – 415 E. 79th St.
7 – 2400 E. 105th St.
8 – 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.
9 – 201 E. 111th St.
10 – 3710 E. 106th St.
11 – 2901 S. Poplar Ave.
12 – 1915 W. 35th St.
13 – 6423 W. 63rd Pl.
14 – 5055 S. Archer Ave.
15 – 4830 S. Western Ave.
16 – 6054 S. Damen Ave.
17 – 7506 S. Racine Ave.
18 – 8530 S. Kedzie Ave.
19 – 3721 W. 111th St.
20 – 731 E. 63rd St.
21 – 830 W. 119th St.
22 – 2708 S. Pulaski Rd.
23 – 5157 S. McVicker Ave.
24 – 3151 W. Douglas Blvd.
25 – 1805 S. Loomis St.
26 – 1605 N. Troy St.
27 – 1501 W. Randolph St.
28 – 4624 W. Madison St.
29 – 6200 W. Bloomingdale Ave.
30 – 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave.
31 – 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
32 – 1701 N. Milwaukee Ave.
33 – 3401 W. Ainslie St.
34 – 750 S. Halsted St.
35 – 3390 N. Avondale Ave.
36 – 3104 N. Narragansett Ave.
37 – 4856 W. Chicago Ave.
38 – 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
39 – 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
40 – 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
41 – 6083 N. Northwest Hwy.
42 – 803 N. Dearborn St.
43 – 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.
44 – 814 W. Nelson St.
45 – 5826 N. Elston Ave.
46 – 1145 W. Wilson Ave.
47 – 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
48 – 5917 N. Broadway St.
49 – 1610 W. Howard St.
50 – 6800 N. Western Ave.
Election Day
The primary election is Tuesday, March 17. Registration deadlines are:
Online: Until Sunday, March 1
By mail (postmarked): Until March 12.
In-Person: Tuesday, March 17, 6am–7pm.
Chelsea Zhao is a Chicago-based freelance journalist who covers immigration, health, and environment. She works full-time in healthcare and received her MSJ from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Her previous works appeared in WebMD, Chicago Health Magazine, Cicero Independiente, and elsewhere. In her free time, she enjoys reading, video-editing, and running along the lake front.