When does early voting start for Illinois’ 2026 primary election?

CHICAGO - 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.

Chicago

Early voting in the City of Chicago starts on Feb. 12 at two downtown locations:

137 S. State Street – This is the new location for the downtown voting supersite.
69 W. Washington Street, 6th floor

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.

Suburban Cook County

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.

DuPage County

Early voting in DuPage County begins tentatively on Feb. 5 at five temporary voting locations:

Addison Township Office, 401 N. Addison Road, Addison
Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Road, Bartlett
Downers Grove Village Hall, 850 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton
Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street, Naperville

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.

Kane County

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.

Kendall County

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.

McHenry County

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.

Lake County

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.

Will County

Early voting in Will County begins on Feb. 5 at the Will County Clerk's Office, located at 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet.

The early voting at the clerk's office will take place weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through March 6 with expanded hours, including weekends through March 16.

Starting in early March, early voting will expand to more than 20 locations throughout the county.

Voters can also request a mail-in ballot.

Visit the Will County Clerk's Office website for more information on early voting.

Other nearby counties have also published information on early voting.

DeKalb County

Early voting in DeKalb County begins on Feb. 5 at the DeKalb County Clerk's Office and on March 2 and satellite locations.

Visit the DeKalb County Clerk's Office for more details.

Grundy County

Early voting in Grundy County begins on Feb. 5 at the county courthouse lobby, located at 111 E. Washington Street, Room 12 in Morris from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

For more information on early voting, visit the Grundy County Clerk's Office website.