Illinois 2022 Primary Election Guide: Key Dates, Who's Running

ILLINOIS — It's almost time for voters to head back to the polls. On June 28, Illinois residents will choose their party's candidates for statewide races, including governor, attorney general, secretary of state, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state senator and state representative.

This year's primary will be held later than usual. Last year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill amending the election code, moving the primary from March to June as lawmakers awaited Census data to redraw Congressional maps.

If you're not registered to vote, May 31 is the last day to do so in person — whether at your county clerk's office, driver's license facility or with a deputy registrar in your area. You can also register in person on election day at your polling place, but make sure your poll offers same-day registration. You can register to vote online through June 12.

If you're not sure if you're already registered, you can check online.

And if you're not sure where your polling place is, you can also look that up online using your address.

Key election dates, deadlines

Here's how and when residents can vote in Illinois:

• Thursday, May 19: First day of early voting at county clerk's offices in most areas (outside the City of Chicago); first day mail-in ballots are sent to voters
• May 26: First day of early voting in Chicago at the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite, 191 N. Clark St.
• May 31: Last day to register to vote in person. (You can also register to vote on election day at your polling place)
• June 1: Voter registration "grace period" starts
• June 12: Last day to register to vote online. (You can also register to vote on election day at your polling place)
• June 13: Early voting begins at sites in all 50 wards in Chicago, early voting locations throughout Illinois
• June 23: Deadline to request a mail-in ballot
• June 27: Last day of early voting
• June 28: Polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; last day to send a mail-in ballot (mail-in ballots must be postmarked by June 28 to count)

Early voting sites

While voting at county clerk's offices began May 19 in most jurisdictions, and additional early voting locations will open June 13 in most places:

• Chicago
• Suburban Cook County
• DuPage County
• Kane County
• Kendall County: Early voting at County office building, 111 W. Fox St. in Yorkville, starting May 19; early voting also offered starting June 9 at Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, and the Montgomery Campus of the Oswego Public Library, 1111 Reading Drive
• Lake County
• McHenry County
• Will County

Voting by mail

You can request a vote-by-mail ballot online or from your location election authority.

The deadline to request a ballot to vote by mail is June 23, and if you're going to send it via the U.S. Postal Service, it must be postmarked by June 28.

You can drop your vote-by-mail ballot off with your local election authority (check with your county clerk's office) or at a drop box in your county.

Here's where you can find a drop box:

• Chicago (starting May 26 at Chicago Board of Elections Supersite; starting June 13 at all early voting locations)
• Suburban Cook County (starting June 13)
• DuPage County: DuPage County Clerk Election Division, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton,
• Kane County
• Kendall County: At the county building at 111 W. Fox St. in Yorkville
• Will County

What's on the ballot

Here are the top contested races on the June 28 primary ballot:

• Illinois Governor/Lieutenant Governor
• U.S. Senate
• Attorney General
• Secretary of State
• U.S. House
• State Senate/State House

Related: These 7 Candidates Want A Rare Open Seat On The Illinois Supreme Court

The Illinois treasurer and comptroller primaries are uncontested after candidates were removed from the ballot.

Top Illinois races to watch

Illinois Governor

Democratic primary:

• J.B. Pritzker – incumbent (Juliana Stratton, lt. governor)
• Beverly Miles (Karla Shaw, lt. governor)

Republican primary:

• Darren Bailey (Stephanie Trussell, lt. governor)
• Paul Schimpf (Carolyn Schofield, lt. governor)
• Richard Irvin (Avery Bourne, lt. governor)
• Gary Rabine (Aaron Del Mar, lt. governor)
• Max Solomon (Latasha H. Fields, lt. governor)
• Jesse Sullivan (Kathleen Murphy)

Attorney General

Democratic primary: Incumbent Kwame Raoul is running uncontested

Republican primary:

• Steve Kim
• David Shestokas
• Thomas DeVore

Secretary of State

Democratic primary:

• Alexi Giannoulias
• David Moore
• Anna Valencia
• Sidney Moore

Republican primary:

• Dan Brady
• John Milhiser

U.S. Senate

Democratic primary: Incumbent Sen. Tammy Duckworth is running uncontested

Republican primary:

• Casey Chlebek
• Peggy Hubbard
• Robert "Bobby" Piton
• Jimmy Lee Tillman II
• Anthony Williams
• Kathy Salvi
• Matthew Dubiel

U.S. Representatives

1st Congressional District

Democratic primary:

• Jaqueline Collins
• Karin Norington-Reaves
• Jonathan Swain
• Nykea Pippion McGriff
• Jahmal Cole
• Ameena Matthews
• Charise A. Williams
• Steven DeJoie
• Kirby Birgans
• Robert Palmer
• Terre Layng Rosner
• Michael Thompson
• Marcus Lewis
• Chris Butler
• Jonathan L. Jackson
• Cassandra Goodrum
• Pat Dowell

Republican primary:

• Geno Young
• Jeffery T. Regnier
• Philanise White
• Eric Carlson

6th Congressional District

Democratic primary:

• Marie Newman
• Sean Casten
• Charles Hughes

Republican primary:

• Rob Cruz
• Catherine O’Shea
• Keith Pekau
• Niki Conforti
• Scott Kaspar
• Gary Grasso

8th Congressional District

Democratic primary:

• Raja Krishnamoorthi - incumbent
• Junaid Ahmed

Republican primary:

• Chris Dargis
• Karen Kolodziej
• Phillip Owen Wood
• Peter Kopsaftis
• Chad Koppie

11th Congressional District

Democratic primary: Incumbent Bill Foster is running uncontested.

Republican primary:

• Cassandra Tanner Miller
• Mark Joseph Carroll
• Susan Hathaway-Altman
• Catalina Lauf
• Andrea Heeg
• Jerry Evans