//Run for office · Illinois

How to run for local office in Illinois

Illinois fills nearly every local office at the April 6, 2027 consolidated election; petitions are due in October or November 2026, and every committee files with the State Board of Elections.

Facts checked against official sources · September 9, 2026

Illinois gives its Secretary of State no role in elections. The State Board of Elections (SBE) administers both the Election Code and the campaign finance law, and 108 local election authorities (county clerks, county boards of election commissioners, and a few city boards) register voters and run the polls. Local offices are filled at the consolidated election on the first Tuesday in April of odd years, with a consolidated primary on the last Tuesday in February for partisan municipal races in cities over 5,000. For 2027 that means April 6 and February 23.

The petition calendar runs early: established-party and nonpartisan municipal primary candidates file October 19 to 26, 2026, and independents, new parties, commission-form municipalities, and every non-municipal nonpartisan office (school, park, library, and fire protection boards among them) file November 16 to 23, 2026. Once you have raised or spent $5,000, your committee files everything with the SBE electronically. The SBE sells voter data to registered political committees for $500 statewide or $25 to $100 for a smaller area, and state law makes the list of vote-by-mail applicants public daily.

Election authority: Illinois State Board of Elections
Voter file: Available for political and election purposes · $500 for the entire state; $100 for Cook County, the City of Chicago, or a Supreme/Appellate district; $75 for a congressional district; $40 for a judicial circuit outside Cook; $30 for a state Senate district; $25 for a Representative district; other areas by quote, $25 minimum (SBE fee schedule effective January 22, 2008, checked 2026-09-09).
Campaign finance: IDIS (Illinois Disclosure Information System) (Illinois State Board of Elections, Campaign Disclosure Division)
How voters vote: In person, with no-excuse mail voting
Registration deadline: Regular registration closes 28 days before the election and online registration 16 days before; after that, grace-period registration and voting are available at the election authority or its designated sites through election day (2027 Calendar; 10 ILCS 5/4-6, 5-5, 6-29, 1A-16.5).
Local offices: Mixed. Municipalities over 5,000 nominate established-party candidates at the February primary unless they have adopted a nonpartisan form; villages that were partisan before 1992 may stay partisan; commission and council-manager cities are nonpartisan. School, park, library, fire, and community college boards are nonpartisan. County offices are partisan and run in November of even years. Chicago's municipal offices are nonpartisan with a runoff.

Who runs elections in Illinois

Illinois State Board of Elections The SBE publishes the Candidate's Guide, the Election and Campaign Finance Calendar, and candidate packets for each cycle, registers every political committee and takes its reports, sells statewide and district voter data, maintains the statewide voter registration list and the online list of vote-by-mail applicants, and hears objections to petitions filed with it. Local candidates file petitions with their local election official or county election authority, not the SBE, but the SBE's guide and calendar are the authoritative sources for every date.

Illinois has 108 election authorities: county clerks in most counties, county boards of election commissioners in some, and separate boards of election commissioners in six cities including Chicago. They register voters, run early voting and vote by mail, print ballots, and canvass. Local election officials (municipal clerks, township clerks, park and library district secretaries) accept petitions for their own offices and certify candidates to the election authority in mid-December of the year before the consolidated election (2027 Calendar).

Getting the Illinois voter file

The voter file is the list of every registered voter, with the fields a campaign needs to target: address, party where the state records it, and vote history. In Illinois it comes from Illinois State Board of Elections, Division of Voter Registration Services (Computerized Voter Data).

Access: Available for political and election purposes
Cost: $500 for the entire state; $100 for Cook County, the City of Chicago, or a Supreme/Appellate district; $75 for a congressional district; $40 for a judicial circuit outside Cook; $30 for a state Senate district; $25 for a Representative district; other areas by quote, $25 minimum (SBE fee schedule effective January 22, 2008, checked 2026-09-09).
Format: Two SBE file formats; the layout documentation is linked from the data page. Date of birth is no longer provided. The SBE supplies files only, not software.
Vote history: Not confirmed
Phone numbers: Not confirmed
Updated: Election authorities upload to the SBE database usually nightly, and the Election Code requires each authority's registration, vote-by-mail, early-vote, and rejected-ballot data to sync with the statewide list at least every 24 hours (10 ILCS 5/1A-25).

Who can get it: Registered political committees, for bona fide political purposes, plus entities acting under the National Voter Registration Act (10 ILCS 5/4-8, 5-7, 6-35). Register your candidate committee with the SBE first; the application form is on the data page.

Permitted use: Political purposes only. Commercial solicitation or other business use is prohibited (10 ILCS 5/4-8, 5-7, 6-35).

County option: Yes. Each election authority sells its own voter list to candidates and political committees under 10 ILCS 5/4-8, 5-7, or 6-35, and certifies to the SBE between December 15 and 28, 2026 that its data, including voting history from the November 2026 election, is complete (2027 Calendar). For a single-district race, buying from the county clerk or city board is the usual route.

The SBE also sells a $50 file of voting districts by registration address that contains no voter information, which is useful for building a district map.
The data application asks for the political committee's information, so register the committee before ordering.

Whatever file you get, Culper imports it as a CSV and maps the columns for you. See how to read a voter file for what the fields mean.

Filing to run for local office in Illinois

Illinois candidates get on the ballot with nomination papers: a statement of candidacy, a petition with the required signatures, and for some offices a statement of economic interests receipt. Where and when you file depends on the office and on whether your municipality holds a partisan or nonpartisan primary. The SBE's 2027 Candidate's Guide and 2027 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar list every window, and objections are heard by local electoral boards within days of the filing period.

File with: Municipal offices: the city or village clerk (or the municipal board of election commissioners where one exists). Township offices: the township clerk. School boards: the county clerk or county board of election commissioners of the county where the district's principal office is (105 ILCS 5/9-10; 10 ILCS 5/10-6). Park, library, fire protection, and other districts: the district secretary or county clerk as the Candidate's Guide specifies. County offices and multi-county districts: the county clerk or the SBE.
Filing fee: Confirm with the filing officer
Petition: Signature requirements vary by office and form of government. Examples from the 2027 Candidate's Guide: school board, 50 voters or 10 percent of the district's voters, whichever is less (105 ILCS 5/9-10); nonpartisan cities under Article VII, 5 to 8 percent of the votes cast at the last regular election in the district (10 ILCS 5/10-3); commission-form municipalities, 1 percent of the vote for mayor at the last mayoral election (65 ILCS 5/4-3-8); village president and trustee, 1 percent of the village vote for president at the last preceding election (65 ILCS 5/3.1-25-30). Petitions may be circulated no more than 90 days before the last day of the filing period.
Partisan?: Mixed. Municipalities over 5,000 nominate established-party candidates at the February primary unless they have adopted a nonpartisan form; villages that were partisan before 1992 may stay partisan; commission and council-manager cities are nonpartisan. School, park, library, fire, and community college boards are nonpartisan. County offices are partisan and run in November of even years. Chicago's municipal offices are nonpartisan with a runoff.

Filing window: For the February 23, 2027 consolidated primary (established parties in municipalities over 5,000, and nonpartisan municipal primaries): not more than 127 nor less than 120 days before the primary, October 19 to 26, 2026 (10 ILCS 5/7-12(3), 10-6(4)). For the April 6, 2027 consolidated election (independents, new parties, commission-form municipalities, and non-municipal nonpartisan offices including school boards): not more than 141 nor less than 134 days before, November 16 to 23, 2026 (10 ILCS 5/10-6(2)). Established-party caucus certificates in municipalities under 5,000: 113 to 106 days before, December 14 to 21, 2026 (10 ILCS 5/10-1(a)).

Key Illinois dates
What	When	Note
Consolidated primary filing period opens (established-party and nonpartisan municipal candidates)	October 19, 2026	127 days before the February 23, 2027 primary (10 ILCS 5/7-12(3), 10-6(4)); petitions could be circulated from July 28, 2026.
Consolidated primary filing period closes	October 26, 2026	120 days before the primary; objections are due by November 2, 2026 (10 ILCS 5/7-12.1, 10-8).
Consolidated election filing period opens (independents, new parties, commission-form cities, school and other nonpartisan districts)	November 16, 2026	141 days before April 6, 2027 (10 ILCS 5/10-6(2)); circulation began August 25, 2026.
Consolidated election filing period closes	November 23, 2026	134 days before the consolidated election (10 ILCS 5/10-6(2)).
Caucus certificates of nomination due, municipalities under 5,000	December 21, 2026	Filing period December 14 to 21, 2026, 113 to 106 days before the election (10 ILCS 5/10-1(a)); caucuses are held December 7, 2026.
Early voting begins, February 23, 2027 consolidated primary	January 14, 2027	40th day before the election (10 ILCS 5/19A-15); vote-by-mail ballots also begin mailing this day (2027 Calendar).
Close of regular registration, consolidated primary	January 26, 2027	28 days before; grace-period registration and voting run January 27 through election day at the election authority (2027 Calendar).
Early voting begins, April 6, 2027 consolidated election	February 25, 2027	40th day before the election (10 ILCS 5/19A-15).
Close of regular registration, consolidated election	March 9, 2027	28 days before; grace period March 10 through April 6 at the election authority (2027 Calendar); online registration closes 16 days before.
Last day to apply by mail or online for a vote-by-mail ballot, April 6, 2027	April 1, 2027	5 days before the election (10 ILCS 5/19-2); in person at the election authority until April 5.

Campaign finance rules in Illinois

State-level campaign finance in Illinois is overseen by Illinois State Board of Elections, Campaign Disclosure Division through IDIS (Illinois Disclosure Information System).

Where local candidates file: Every political committee in Illinois, including one for a village trustee or school board candidate, files with the State Board of Elections; there is no county or municipal filing (10 ILCS 5/9-3). You become a candidate political committee when you accept contributions or make expenditures over $5,000 in any 12-month period (10 ILCS 5/9-1.8), and must file a statement of organization within 10 business days, or 2 business days if you form within 30 days of an election. Reports are filed electronically through IDIS.

Contribution limits: Per election cycle, effective January 1, 2025 and applying to every candidate political committee including local ones: $7,300 from an individual, $14,600 from a corporation, labor organization, or association, $72,800 from a PAC or another candidate committee, and no limit from a political party committee (SBE 2025 Contribution Limits; the base amounts of $5,000, $10,000, and $50,000 in 10 ILCS 5/9-8.5 are adjusted for inflation).

Reporting: Quarterly reports (D-2) by the 15th of January, April, July, and October covering the prior quarter; A-1 reports of any contribution of $1,000 or more within 5 business days, or 2 business days when received within 30 days of an election in which the committee is participating (10 ILCS 5/9-10). There is no separate pre-election report; the A-1 reports are the real-time disclosure.

The SBE's Campaign Disclosure page posts the IDIS Quick Start Guide, an infographic guide to campaign disclosure, and the annual Campaign Disclosure Calendar.

Limits and thresholds change. Treat the figures here as a starting point and confirm the current schedule with Illinois State Board of Elections, Campaign Disclosure Division before you accept a check. Our campaign finance basics guide covers the bookkeeping every local candidate needs on day one.

How voting works in Illinois

In person, with no-excuse mail voting. Illinois voters can vote by mail for any reason, vote early in person from the 40th day before the election, or vote at their precinct on election day (polls 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Grace-period registration lets an unregistered voter register and vote at the election authority through election day.

Early voting: Early voting by personal appearance begins the 40th day before a consolidated primary, consolidated, general primary, or general election and runs through the day before election day (10 ILCS 5/19A-15). Permanent early voting sites must open at least from the 15th day before, with extended evening and weekend hours in the last 8 days; temporary sites set their own schedules. Election authorities publish the schedule the week before early voting starts.
Mail ballots: Any registered voter may apply by mail or online from 90 to 5 days before the election, or in person up to the day before (10 ILCS 5/19-2). Ballots are mailed starting 40 days before; for consolidated elections some precincts may not receive them until 25 days before if primary results delay printing (10 ILCS 5/19-4). Voters can also join a permanent vote-by-mail list (10 ILCS 5/19-2, 19-3).
Registration deadline: Regular registration closes 28 days before the election and online registration 16 days before; after that, grace-period registration and voting are available at the election authority or its designated sites through election day (2027 Calendar; 10 ILCS 5/4-6, 5-5, 6-29, 1A-16.5).
Same-day registration: Yes

Knowing who has already voted: Within one business day of receiving a vote-by-mail application the election authority must post the applicant's name, address, and precinct on a public list at its office, and within a day after that transmit it to the State Board of Elections, which keeps the names online by county 'accessible to State and local political committees' (10 ILCS 5/19-4). Each authority also syncs vote-by-mail, early-vote, and rejected-ballot status to the statewide list every 24 hours (10 ILCS 5/1A-25). Ask your election authority for its daily vote-by-mail and early voting files, and use the SBE's online applicant list as the backstop.

Local government in Illinois: what you can run for

Illinois layers counties (county boards or commissioners), townships in most counties, cities and villages (mayor-alderperson, president-trustee, commission, and council-manager forms), school districts and community college districts, and hundreds of park, library, fire protection, sanitary, and other special districts, each with its own elected board and, often, its own filing officer. Cook County's suburbs and the City of Chicago have separate election authorities, and Chicago has elected a school board since 2024 (10 ILCS 5/2A-1.2).

Mayor or village president
Alderperson, trustee, or council member
City or village clerk and treasurer
Township supervisor, clerk, assessor, highway commissioner, trustee
School board member
Community college trustee
Park district commissioner
Library district trustee
Fire protection district trustee
County board member
County clerk, treasurer, sheriff, and other county officers
Chicago Board of Education

When local elections happen: Municipal, township, school, park, library, and other district offices are elected at the consolidated election on the first Tuesday in April of odd-numbered years, with the consolidated primary on the last Tuesday in February (10 ILCS 5/2A-1.1, 2A-1.2). County offices and Chicago's school board run at the November general election in even years. The 2027 dates are February 23 and April 6; the next local cycle is 2029.

Running your Illinois campaign on Culper

Culper does not license voter data in Illinois today. You upload the Illinois voter file described above as a CSV, and every feature runs on it: search and lists, plain-English queries, texting and email, block walking, and volunteer coordination. Online donation processing is in development; ask about timing on the onboarding call. Your file stays in your campaign's workspace and is never shared with another campaign.

Set up your Illinois campaign in an afternoon

Upload the voter file, ask for your first list in plain English, and hand your volunteers the walking app. Signup is open to candidates in every state. Pricing is set after a short call so it matches the size of the race.

Get started Book a demo

Illinois questions we get asked

When are petitions due for a 2027 city council or school board race in Illinois?

Two windows. Established-party candidates in municipalities over 5,000 (and nonpartisan municipal candidates whose city holds a primary) file October 19 to 26, 2026 for the February 23, 2027 consolidated primary. Independents, new parties, commission-form cities, and all non-municipal nonpartisan offices, including school boards, park and library boards, and fire districts, file November 16 to 23, 2026 for the April 6, 2027 consolidated election. Municipal candidates file with the city or village clerk; school board candidates file with the county clerk (10 ILCS 5/10-6).

Where do Illinois local candidates file campaign finance reports?

With the State Board of Elections, no matter how small the office. Illinois has no county-level campaign finance filing. Once your committee raises or spends more than $5,000 in a 12-month period you file a statement of organization within 10 business days and then quarterly D-2 reports, plus A-1 reports within 5 business days (2 within 30 days of an election) for every contribution of $1,000 or more, all through the SBE's IDIS system (10 ILCS 5/9-1.8, 9-3, 9-10).

What are the 2027 contribution limits for an Illinois village trustee or school board candidate?

The same limits as any Illinois candidate committee: per election cycle, $7,300 from an individual, $14,600 from a corporation, union, or association, $72,800 from a PAC or another candidate's committee, and unlimited from a political party committee (SBE limits effective January 1, 2025, adjusting the $5,000, $10,000, and $50,000 base amounts in 10 ILCS 5/9-8.5). The SBE publishes a new sheet whenever the inflation adjustment changes, so check the Campaign Disclosure page before the cycle.

How do I buy the voter file for my Illinois district?

From the State Board of Elections if you want the whole state ($500) or a district it sells (Cook County $100, a state House district $25), or from your county clerk or city board of election commissioners for a local list. Either way you must be a registered political committee and the data is for political purposes only (10 ILCS 5/4-8, 5-7, 6-35). Election authorities certify their files complete, with November 2026 voting history, between December 15 and 28, 2026, so order after that for the 2027 cycle.

How can an Illinois campaign track who has requested or returned a vote-by-mail ballot?

State law makes it public. Each election authority must post every vote-by-mail applicant's name, address, and precinct within one business day and send the list to the State Board of Elections, which keeps it online by county for state and local political committees (10 ILCS 5/19-4). Returned and rejected ballot status syncs to the statewide list every 24 hours (10 ILCS 5/1A-25). Ask your county clerk for the daily file and match it against your Illinois voter list every morning of the 40-day early voting period.

Can Illinois voters register after the deadline?

Yes. Regular registration closes 28 days before the election (January 26, 2027 for the consolidated primary and March 9, 2027 for the April 6 consolidated election) and online registration 16 days before, but grace-period registration lets a voter register and vote at the election authority's office or designated sites from the next day through election day. Illinois campaigns should keep a registration drive running through April 6, 2027.

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Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the official sources below on September 9, 2026. Rules change between cycles; when a number here and the agency disagree, the agency is right.