Chicago voting guide: Poll hours, Election Day locations and CPS schedules

Chicago voters have a 13-hour voting window for Tuesday’s 2026 general election. Illinois polling locations open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Central, and anyone in line at closing time retains the right to cast a ballot.

City residents have more than one option for where to vote. They can visit their assigned Election Day polling location or use one of Chicago’s 51 early voting centers, which remain available through Election Day. Those choices give residents flexibility when planning a trip around work and family schedules.

To find an assigned polling place, voters can use the lookup feature on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. The search asks for an address and ZIP code. Checking that information before leaving can help residents identify the location associated with their home address.

Families should also account for a change in the school-day routine: Chicago Public Schools will not hold student classes on Election Day. School schedules are not uniform across Illinois, however, with some other schools and universities holding classes or scheduling staff institute days.

The ballot includes contests for Illinois governor, all 17 of the state’s U.S. House seats and the U.S. Senate seat that Dick Durbin is leaving after choosing not to seek another term. State House races and, depending on the voter’s district, state Senate contests also appear. The exact set of races depends on where a voter lives.

Judicial voting deserves a separate look when reviewing election information. Illinois has no state Supreme Court contest on the November ballot, but voters will decide circuit and appellate court vacancies as well as judicial retention questions. NBC Chicago’s sample-ballot tool covers legislative and statewide races but does not include judges, so it is not a complete guide to every choice voters may encounter.

For Chicago residents organizing their day, the key practical details are the available voting locations, the CPS student holiday and the evening deadline. Voters who arrive before polls close should remain in line if they have not yet cast their ballot.