DOWNERS GROVE, IL — The General Election is less than a month away on Nov. 3 and will include the gubernatorial race, as well as various county races, including for DuPage County Sheriff and County Board positions.
DuPage Township voters will also see an advisory question on their ballots concerning the right to boycott.
Here's everything you need to know to cast your vote, from voter registration to polling places to mail-in voting to what's on the ballot.
No matter how they vote, DuPage County residents will get a new sheriff. Democrat Peter Coolidge is facing off against Republican Sean Noonan. They are vying to succeed Republican James Mendrick, who 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.
There are two races to watch for Downers Grove residents:
DuPage County Government Contested Races
Several DuPage County offices will have contested races come Election Day.
Incumbent County Board President Deb Conroy (D) faces off against Gary Grasso (R). Conroy was elected to her four-year term in 2026.
County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is defending her seat against Paula Deacon Garcia. Incumbent DuPage County Treasurer Gwen Henry faces off against Yeena Yoo.
DuPage County Judges Up For Retention, 1 Contested Race
Two DuPage County judges are up for retention in the 18th Judicial Circuit.
In the fourth subdistrict, incumbent Democrat Judge Christina Kye will defend her seat against Michael W. Fleming, a Republican.
All Downers Grove voters will have statewide contests on their ballots.
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.
Early voting starts Oct. 19 at locations throughout DuPage County. Here are the hours. :
Additional early voting locations are set to open Oct. 19 in DuPage County, with expanded hours.
Find other early voting hours and locations here:
If you plan to vote on Election Day and don't know your polling place, you can find it here. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you plan to vote on Election Day and don't know your polling place, you can find it here. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you want to vote by mail, you must apply online or in person by Oct. 29 through your county's election authority. Find vote-by-mail ballot applications here:
Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a dropbox by Election Day, Nov. 3, to count.
The drop box in Downers Grove is located at Downers Grove Recreation Center, 4500 Belmont Rd., Room 103.
It is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Oct. 19 through Nov. 2.
Ballot envelopes are collected daily and returned to the DuPage County Clerk's Office for processing during the Vote By Mail period.
Find your local mail-in voting drop boxes here.
If you want to take a look at your local election ballot, you can do so here:
For full coverage of the 2026 election in Illinois, go here.
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