Early voting for the 2026 Illinois elections begins soon in Chicago area – NBC 5 Chicago

Early voting for the 2026 Illinois elections begins soon in Chicago area  NBC 5 Chicago

For most of the Chicago area, early voting is set to get underway later this week for the 2026 general election. The Chicago City Council voted on referendums for the November election, including one concerning ICE’s enforcement actions in the city. Paris Schutz breaks down those measures. Under Illinois state law, early voting can begin as soon as 40 days before the election, and nearly every county in the Chicago area will begin allowing voters to cast ballots on Thursday. The city of Chicago and suburban Cook County have different dates, but will begin allowing early voting in coming days. Early voting will get underway on Thursday, October 1 at the city’s new early voting supercenter, locating at 137 South State Street.

Early votes can also be cast on that date at the Chicago Board of Elections offices at 69 West Washington Street. More sites will go online beginning on October 19 in all 50 Chicago wards. Information can be found on the CBOE’s website. For the upcoming election, suburban Cook County voters can begin casting ballots at six different early voting centers beginning on Wednesday, October 7. Additional sites will go online beginning on Monday, October 19, and a full list of those sites can be found here. According to the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office, early voting will kick