Downers Grove 2026 Voter Guide: Everything You Need To Know

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.

DuPage Sheriff's Race

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.

Congressional Races

There are two races to watch for Downers Grove residents:

• 6th Congressional District: Conforti, Casten, Set For Rematch
• 11th Congressional District: Incumbent Democrat Bill Foster faces Republican nominee Jeff Walter

Other Races To Watch

All Downers Grove voters will have statewide contests on their ballots.

• U.S. Senate: Democrat Juliana Stratton faces Republican Don Tracy in the race for U.S. Senate.
• Illinois Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking another term, facing off against Republican Darren Bailey.
• Illinois Attorney General: Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul faces Republican Bob Fioretti.
• Illinois Secretary of State: Democratic Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias faces Republican Diane Harris.
• Illinois Comptroller: Democrat Margaret Croke faces Republican Bryan Drew.
• Illinois Treasurer: Democratic Treasurer Michael Frerichs faces Republican Max Solomon.

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.

Where To Vote

Early voting starts Oct. 19 at locations throughout DuPage County. Here are the hours. :

• Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Additional early voting locations are set to open Oct. 19 in DuPage County, with expanded hours.

Find other early voting hours and locations here:

• DuPage County

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.

Voting By Mail

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:

• DuPage County

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.

Find Your Sample Ballot

If you want to take a look at your local election ballot, you can do so here:

• DuPage County

For full coverage of the 2026 election in Illinois, go here.