Politics & Government

Everything To Know About The Illinois 2018 Midterm Elections

Here's what Illinois voters need to know about candidates, polling places, voting rights and more ahead of Election Day.

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Election Day 2018 is coming up fast. Here's what you need to know about candidates, key races, polling places and more ahead of Nov. 6 in Illinois.

Voter Information

Polls across Illinois open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

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Still not sure whether you're registered to vote? You can check here. If you're not, don't panic. While the deadlines to register online or in person in advance of the election have passed, Illinois is one of a handful of states that allow same-day registration on Election Day. Just take two forms of identification (both must have your name, and one must show your current address) to your voting precinct to register and cast your ballot.

If you're not sure where to vote, you can find your polling place here (and if you're in suburban Cook County especially, make sure your polling place hasn't changed, because many have). If you won't be in town on Election Day, you can vote by absentee/vote by mail ballot, but you don't have much time:

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  1. To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election authority by five days prior to the election (Thursday, Nov. 1) if sent by mail.
  2. If applied for in person, it must be received no later than the day before the election (Monday, Nov. 5).
  3. A returned absentee ballot must be postmarked no later than midnight the night before election and received no later than 14 days after the election (Tuesday, Nov. 20).

Remember: you cannot vote online in Illinois (or anywhere else in the U.S., for that matter), and anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Don't have a ride to the polls? Uber and Lyft are offering Election Day deals and potential freebies. Lyft said it's offering 50 percent off rides across the country Tuesday. Visit BuzzFeed to access a Lyft promo code. Uber is working with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works to provide free rides in areas where transportation to the polls is hard to come by as part of its "Uber Drives the Vote" promotion. Uber also is offering $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day for the Uber Express Pool, which could mean a free ride depending on how far you have to go. To get the deal, riders must have the most updated version of the Uber app. Then enter the promotional code VOTE2018 in your app. (Tap Menu > Payment > Add Promo Code).

Sample Ballots

Curious about what your ballot will look like on Nov. 6? Check the links below for a glance at what you'll find inside the booth on Election Day. Note: In some counties, you'll need to enter your address to get a peek at your sample ballot.

Voting Rights

If you're already registered to vote, you do not need to show your ID in order to cast your ballot — you only need to state your name and address. However, there are limited circumstances in which a voter can be asked for identification, including those who are registering on Election Day, and those voting for the first time after registering by mail. But even in those instances, a voter without ID may cast a provisional ballot, according to the ACLU of Illinois.

People with criminal records in Illinois — including felonies — are eligible to vote once they have completed their sentences (but should re-register to vote upon their release). That includes people who are on probation or parole. Those who have been arrested or charged with a crime but not convicted can also vote, including many of those being held in county jail.

Meaning Of The Midterms

The 2018 midterms could be one for the record books in Illinois, at least when it comes to voter turnout. The Illinois Board of Elections said Wednesday that early voting totals are already higher than the 2014 midterms and could equal the 1.013 million early votes cast in 2016, a presidential election year.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, nearly 840,000 votes had been cast across the state, with five days of early voting remaining. The early vote count surpasses the 791,000 total early votes cast in the 2014 election. In suburban Cook County, early voting had already surpassed 2014 totals.

Could Illinois' apparently enthusiastic voters be a bellwether for the midterms nationwide, signaling a political shift? With pundits making their guesses whether the 2018 midterms could be a "blue wave" or "red tide," it's tough to say. Republicans face some tough challenges in traditionally blue Illinois.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner appears to be facing an uphill battle against fellow billionaire J.B. Pritzker, his Democratic challenger in what could be the most expensive governor's race in U.S. history. Multiple polls have shown Pritzker leading Rauner — who has consistently ranked among the least popular governors in the nation and was named the worst Republican governor by a conservative magazine — by double digits. Despite his large lead, Pritzker has faced his own battles, including allegations of racial discrimination and the firing of two employees after an image of a staffer wearing a charcoal mask — making it appear the employee was in blackface — was posted to social media.

Another Republican incumbent, Congressman Randy Hultgren of the 14th District, faces opposition from newcomer Lauren Underwood, a Democrat who's managed to snag the high-profile support of former Vice President Joe Biden. A recent New York Times poll shows Hultgren with a four-point lead over Underwood, but the Naperville nurse could get a boost from Biden's appearance at a rally in the suburbs this week in which he urged the crowd to rise up against moral "dark forces," speaking about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and a surge in hate crimes: "The very character of our country is on the ballot ... If we don't resist...that hate is going to continue to grow. And our children are listening. Our children are watching."

Speaking of hate, in another race to watch, an avowed neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier, the third Congressional district's Arthur Jones, finally found himself on a general election ballot after the GOP failed to run a candidate against him in the March primary. Jones faces off against incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski, a conservative Democrat seeking a seventh term. In a heated political climate that has seen a growing alt-right movement nationwide, it will be eye-opening to see how many votes a man who wore a swastika armband and took part in the Nazis' march on Chicago's Marquette Park in 1978 gets.

Illinois Races To Watch

Governor/Lieutenant governor

  • Incumbent Bruce Rauner/Evelyn Sanguinetti - Republican
  • J.B. Pritzker/Juliana Stratton - Democrat
  • Grayson Kash Jackson/Sanjeev Mohip - Libertarian
  • William "Sam" McCann/Aaron Merreighn - Conservative

Recent Patch coverage:

Attorney General

  • Erika Harold - Republican
  • Kwame Raoul - Democrat
  • Bubba Harsy - Libertarian

Recent Patch coverage:

Secretary of State

  • Jason Helland - Republican
  • Incumbent Jesse White - Democrat
  • Steve Dutner - Libertarian

Comptroller

  • Darlene Senger - Republican
  • Incumbent Susana A. Mendoza - Democrat
  • Claire Ball - Libertarian

Treasurer

  • Jim Dodge - Republican
  • Incumbent Michael Frerichs - Democrat
  • Michael Leheney - Libertarian

Representative in Congress, 3rd District

Patch coverage:

Representative in Congress, 6th District

  • Incumbent Rep. Peter Roskam - Republican
  • Sean Casten - Democrat

Recent Patch coverage:

Representative in Congress, 14th District

  • Incumbent Rep. Randall M. "Randy" Hultgren - Republican
  • Lauren Underwood - Democrat

Recent Patch coverage:

Local races

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