DARIEN, IL – The general election is less than a month away on Nov. 3 and will include statewide and local races.
The two state lawmakers who represent much of Darien are Sen. John Curran and Rep. Nicole La Ha, both Republicans. Neither is opposed.
A major DuPage County race is for sheriff. It is between Democrat Peter Coolidge, a sheriff's deputy, and Republican Sean Noonan, an Oakbrook Terrace police officer. They are vying to succeed Republican James Mendrick. He decided against seeking a third term, instead unsuccessfully running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
The general election race for sheriff is quieter than the one in the Republican primary. That is when candidate Eddie Moore, the undersheriff, faced controversies such as his handling of a car crash and a bar incident from years before. Noonan defeated him.
Township tax hike
Voters in Downers Grove Township will be asked to decide on a property tax increase to help pay for mental health services.
The tax would cost the owner of a $400,000 house $67 a year, according to the township.
In a resolution, the township board said a growing gap exists between available resources and the service needs for mental health, substance abuse and intellectual disabilities.
Congressional race
In his 6th Congressional District, Rep. Sean Casten is expected to cruise to victory over Republican Niki Conforti. He has far outraised her.
Registering to vote
If you're not sure if you're registered to vote, you can check online. To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old — or will be 18 by Election Day — and you must have lived in your precinct for at least 30 days prior to the election.
Online voter registration is available until Oct. 18 on the Illinois Board of Elections website. To register online, residents must have a driver's license or state ID, or a Social Security number.
Even if you miss that deadline, you can take advantage of grace period in-person voter registration at your county clerk's office or permanent early voting locations. You can also register at your polling place on Election Day.
To register in person, you'll need to bring two forms of ID, with at least one showing your current address.
Voting early
DuPage County lists its early voting sites.
Other races to watch
Darien voters will have several statewide contests on their ballots.
Find all of Illinois Patch's 2026 election coverage here.
Voting By Mail
If you want to vote by mail, you must apply online or in person by Oct. 29 through DuPage County's election authority. Find vote-by-mail ballot applications on DuPage County's website.
Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a dropbox by Election Day, Nov. 3, to count.
Take a look at your sample ballot.
For full coverage of the 2026 election in Illinois, go here.
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