The short version
Illinois nominates through party primaries, and ballot access is petition-based rather than fee-based. Candidates reach the ballot by filing nominating petitions; independent and new-party candidates file for the general election. The State Board of Elections issues a Candidate's Guide each cycle with the exact rules.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other state officials); the Illinois Senate and House; and county, municipal, township, and judicial seats.
- How to get on the ballot
- File notarized nominating petitions with the required signatures during the filing period, along with a Statement of Candidacy and a Statement of Economic Interests receipt (plus a data-entry card for filings made with the State Board). Once filed, a petition can't be altered. The Candidate's Guide lists the signature count and deadline for every office.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Illinois State Board of Elections(217) 782-4141
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office; the official Illinois resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your Illinois county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 102 Illinois counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
The 2027 ballot in Illinois.
These 2027 dates are confirmed against the state's own published calendar or statute. Anything our research could not confirm is left off this page rather than estimated.
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February 23, 2027
Primary — Municipal.
Consolidated primary: party nominations for municipal offices -- mayor or village president, clerk, treasurer, and alderperson or trustee -- in municipalities over 5,000 people and others that nominate by primary. Park, library, school, college and fire district candidates are not on this ballot.
Candidate filing: opens Oct 19, 2026, closes Oct 26, 2026.
Source -
April 6, 2027
General — Municipal and local boards.
Consolidated election: municipal offices, plus park district, library district, school board, community college and fire protection district trustees and other local boards. The filing window shown is for offices not nominated at the February primary.
Candidate filing: opens Nov 16, 2026, closes Nov 23, 2026.
Source 1 · Source 2
2027 dates can move, and a municipality can change its own election date by ordinance. Which seats are on a given ballot depends on when each was last filled. Confirm anything you are relying on with the county election office before you act on it.
Official Illinois candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle. Note: 2026 filing has closed in most states, so these resources govern the standing rules; check the official calendar for your next filing window.
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. Illinois is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Illinois race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors": voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.