Who should I vote for in Cook County? A nonpartisan guide to the 2026 ballot

How to decide, step by step

1. See your exact ballot. Enter your address: districts depend on where you live. It stays in your browser.
2. Pick the two or three issues you care about most. For federal and state candidates, open "Where they stand on issues" on each one: it covers taxes and spending, immigration, abortion, guns, energy and gas prices, and health care, plus Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran, and China and Taiwan for congressional candidates, with their actual votes for anyone who has served. For local races, where those issues rarely come up, read what the office does and each candidate's own website.
3. Compare candidates race by race. Look at each one's record, where they fall left to right, who funds them and who endorses them. Every fact links to its source.
4. Read every ballot measure. Check what a YES and a NO vote each do; the wording on the ballot can be confusing.
5. Don't skip the bottom of the ballot. County, school board, city and judicial races decide your property taxes, schools and roads, and they're often decided by a few hundred votes.
6. Make a plan to vote: early, by mail or on Election Day, November 3, 2026.

What's on the Cook County ballot

81 races and 51 ballot measures decided in Cook County, plus the statewide, legislative and congressional races on the Illinois page.

• Circuit Court of Cook County — retention
• Circuit Court of Cook County Judge (Vacancy of Burke)
• Circuit Court of Cook County Judge (Vacancy of Cobbs)
• Circuit Court of Cook County Judge (Vacancy of Coghlan)
• Circuit Court of Cook County Judge (Vacancy of Hooks)
• Circuit Court of Cook County Judge (Vacancy of Karkula)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 1st Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Balanoff)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 1st Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Walker)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 3rd Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Murphy)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 3rd Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Sherlock)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 5th Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Ross)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 8th Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Gamrath)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 8th Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of Mikva)
• Circuit Court of Cook County, 11th Subcircuit Judge (Vacancy of McLean Meyerson)

Ballot measures

• Cook County — Millionaire Tax Amendment
• Village of Alsip — Term Limits
• Village of Berkeley — Issue Bonds
• Village of Brookfield — Increase Limiting Rate
• Village of Calumet Park — Waive Building Permit Fees for Veterans
• Village of Calumet Park — Term Limits
• Village of Calumet Park — Waive Transfer Stamp Fees for Veterans
• Village of Crestwood — Reduced Vehicle Stickers for Seniors
• Village of Crestwood — Term Limits
• Village of Franklin Park — Planting of Fruit Trees

See every Cook County race and measure →

Quick answers

Who should I vote for in Cook County?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. No honest nonpartisan source will. What SpectrumVote does is show every race on your Cook County ballot with each candidate's record, funding, outside spending and endorsements side by side, so you can decide based on the issues you care about.

When is the election?

The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting and mail-ballot deadlines vary by state; check your state or county election office.

How do I see my exact ballot?

Enter your address at spectrumvote.com. Which state House, state Senate and congressional districts you're in depends on your address, so two neighbors in Cook County can have different ballots. Your county election office also publishes official sample ballots.

Do I have to vote in every race?

No. You can leave any race or measure blank; the rest of your ballot still counts.

What do the left–right placements mean?

Each candidate is placed on one scale from their own record: votes in Congress or the state legislature, or who donates to their campaigns, using published academic research. First-time candidates with no record get an AI estimate from their own website, clearly labeled, or no placement at all. The placement describes; it isn't a recommendation.

How do ballot measures work?

A YES vote supports the change the measure describes and a NO vote keeps things as they are. Cook County has 51 on the ballot; each page explains what YES and NO do in plain language, with the official text.