Chicago saw 27% turnout for 2026 primary election, beating 2022 mark
CHICAGO - A little over a quarter of registered voters in Chicago turned in a ballot in last month’s primary election, according to official results from the city’s Board of Election Commissioners.
By the numbers:
In total, Chicago saw 424,564 ballots cast, which resulted in a 27.3% turnout rate, according to the final data.
There were more than 1.5 million registered active voters in the city.
Here’s a breakdown of how people voted in the primary:
- 49.5% cast their ballots on Election Day
- 24.1% cast their ballots early and in person
- 26.2% mailed in their ballots
Another noteworthy data point: 93.9% of voters pulled a Democratic ballot, 5.7% filled out a Republican ballot and 0.3% pulled a Libertarian ballot. In primary races in Illinois, voters must request a specific party’s ballot to vote.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: Voters arrives to cast their ballots inside the new Chicago Board of Elections 'Super Site' located at 175 N. State Street during the Illinois Primary Election in the Loop on March 17, 2026, as Illinois holds its General
Historical comparison
The backstory:
This year’s primary turnout exceeded two of the last three midterm primary elections in Chicago, but it did not eclipse the 2018 election, during President Trump’s first term.
- 2026 primary turnout: 27.3%
- 2022 primary turnout: 22.8%
- 2018 primary turnout: 32.6%
- 2014 primary turnout: 16.5%
Midterm elections are typically lower turnout affairs compared to presidential election years, and primary elections also tend to see lower turnouts than general elections.
For example, during the last presidential election in 2024, Chicago saw a 25.8% turnout during the March primary, but then a 67.9% turnout in the general election.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: A voter casts their ballot inside the new Chicago Board of Elections 'Super Site' located at 175 N. State Street during the Illinois Primary Election in the Loop on March 17, 2026, as Illinois holds its General Primary E
Suburban counties comparison
Local perspective:
Suburban Cook County, which tabulates votes separately from the City of Chicago, and the collar counties saw similar turnout rates for last month’s primary.
Suburban Cook County: 22.8% turnout
DeKalb County: 18.6% turnout
DuPage County: 25.4% turnout
Grundy County: 16.7% turnout
Kane County: 23.4% turnout (as of March 31)
Kankakee County: 15.1% turnout (as of March 31)
Kendall County: 21.4% turnout (as of April 1)
Lake County: 18.7% turnout
McHenry County: 18.4% turnout
Will County: 19.9% turnout