Early voting for the 2026 Illinois primary election will begin soon across the Chicago area.
Early voting for the 2026 primary election in Illinois will start soon, with voters having multiple opportunities to cast their ballot for several key local, state, and federal offices.While the primary election day is set for March 17, there will also be early voting via mail and in-person available weeks beforehand.
Here is a look at when early voting begins across the Chicago area.Early voting in the City of Chicago starts on Feb. 12 at two downtown locations:Then, on March 2, early voting sites in all 50 wards will open.Any voter who lives in Chicago can vote at any of the early voting sites, no matter where they live in the city. All early voting sites are ADA-compliant and accessible to voters with disabilities, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.Voters can choose to cast their ballots in one of 12 different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian. Voters can request a mail-in ballot. The deadline to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot is March 12 at 5 p.m.Visit chicagoelections.gov to learn more about voting and specific locations.Early voting in suburban Cook County begins on March 2 at more than 50 locations around the county.Visit the Cook County Clerk’s Office website to learn more about specific early voting locations and hours.Voters can also request a mail-in ballot by requesting one online.RELATED: Illinois 2026 elections: Everything you need to knowEarly voting in DuPage County begins tentatively on Feb. 5 at five temporary voting locations:Each temporary early voting location will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays with no Sunday hours.Early voting will begin at several permanent early voting locations starting on March 2, which will be open seven days a week, including 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.Voters can also request a mail-in ballot. The last day that the clerk's office can send out a mail-in ballot to a voter is March 5. Visit the DuPage County Clerk’s Office website for more information on early voting.Early voting in Kane County will begin on Feb. 5 at the Kane County Elections main office and its satellite office in Aurora.Then, early voting at all permanent polling places will begin on March 2.Voters can also request a mail-in ballot.Visit the Kane County Clerk’s Office website for more information on early voting.Early voting in Kendall County will begin on Feb. 5 at the Kendall County Clerk's Office, located at 502 S. Main Street in Yorkville.Voting will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.Oswego Village Hall, at 100 Parkes Mill in Oswego, will also host early voting starting on March 2 through March 11.Voters can also request a mail-in ballot.Visit the Kendall County Clerk's Office website for more information on early voting.The McHenry County Clerk's Office has not published early voting information on its website as of Jan. 7, 2026.Fox Chicago has reached out to the office for information but has not heard back yet.Visit the McHenry County Clerk's Office website for the latest updates.Early voting in Lake County begins on Feb. 5 at the County Clerk’s Office, located at 18 N. County Street in Waukegan, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.More early voting sites will open on March 2 throughout the county. Evening and weekend hours will be available.Voters can also request a mail-in ballot.Visit the Lake County Clerk’s Office for more information on early voting.The Will County Clerk's Office has not published early voting information on its website as of Jan. 7, 2026.Fox Chicago has reached out for when that information would be published.Visit the Will County Clerk's Office website for the latest updates.
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