Election Day 2022 in Illinois: What to know before you vote on Tuesday

Here’s what to know before Tuesday’s Election Day in Illinois, from key races to the amendment on the ballot to where to vote and much more.

• Drag night and door knocking: getting out the vote in Illinois turns to mix of new and old-school methods

• Officials across Illinois boost security amid fear of violence

• Federal lawsuit threatens validity of potentially tens of thousands of Illinois mail-in and military ballots

• Catch up on all our election coverage here

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Voting information

Everything you need to know about the how to vote this primary election is here, including early voting, mail-in voting and going to the polls on Election Day.

• Attention Chicago voters: Find your new polling place for the 2022 general election on Nov. 8

• A guide for voters on the midterms, including where to vote, key dates and highest-profile issues

Endorsements

Here are the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board’s 2022 endorsements for the Nov. 8 elections. See the full list here.

Before the primaries, the Tribune Editorial Board posed a series of questions to the candidates to inform voters and make endorsements. Here’s the full list of those answers.

• Grab the scissors. Our ‘bedsheet ballot’ is here.

• What’s an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them?

Illinois governor

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is trying to win a second term as he faces Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey, one of the most conservative major party candidates for Illinois governor in generations. Bailey has focused his campaign on crime, the economy and education while Pritzker has tried to persuade voters he advanced the state forward while successfully guiding it through the COVID-19 pandemic. Abortion has also become a major campaign issue following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to knock down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision.

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker profile: After tumultuous first term, he spends big and plays it safe in reelection bid

• Darren Bailey profile: His candidacy for Illinoisans who feel ‘pushed aside’

• Tracking where Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Darren Bailey and their running mates have visited on the campaign trail

• Illinois Democrats accuse GOP operative Dan Proft and Darren Bailey’s campaign of unlawful coordination in election complaint

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s oversight of social services questioned amid abuse allegations at Choate mental health facility

• Shadows of Trump’s false stolen election claims hang over Illinois GOP ‘election integrity’ efforts

• In final debate, Darren Bailey calls Chicago ‘Pritzkerville,’ while governor says challenger a threat to democracy

• Why Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration ended up giving millions of dollars to relatives of his Republican rival, Darren Bailey

• Darren Bailey centers campaign for governor on his faith, asking for God’s help to unite people against Gov. J.B. Pritzker

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP challenger Darren Bailey trade insults and interrupt each other in first televised debate

• Darren Bailey resumes calling Chicago a ‘hellhole’

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls on the ‘coalition of the sane’ to defeat ‘the lunatic fringe’

• Darren Bailey says no apology needed for comparing Holocaust to abortion, contends Jewish community ‘told me that I’m right’

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker says defeat of Kansas abortion amendment a warning to Republicans seeking to ‘undermine bodily autonomy’

• GOP governor nominee Darren Bailey apologizes for comments after Highland Park parade shooting but struggles to move past controversy

Illinois attorney general

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, is seeking his second term and being challenged by Republican Tom DeVore, a civil attorney who made a name for himself by filing suits against the state and Pritzker for his school mask mandate and other executive orders following the spread of the coronavirus.

• How an indicted state official who had volunteered for J.B. Pritzker became an issue in the attorney general race

• Battle between Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Thomas DeVore shifts from courtroom to polling booth

• GOP attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore has record of taking critics to court, including his girlfriend’s mom and Gov. J.B. Pritzker

• Judge allows GOP AG candidate Thomas DeVore’s defamation lawsuit against girlfriend’s mom to proceed

• GOP candidate Thomas DeVore’s campaign loan lifts contribution limits in Illinois attorney general race

• AG Kwame Raoul acknowledges provisions in the SAFE-T Act, including no cash bail, ‘deserve discussion’

• Judge dismisses school mask lawsuit, but GOP attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore still claims victory

• Attorney general seeking more money for consumers from ComEd for scandal tied to House Speaker Michael Madigan

• Thomas DeVore, who’s led legal challenges to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mandates, seeking GOP bid for attorney general

Illinois secretary of state

Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, seeks to retake a statewide office by running for Secretary of State against Republican state Rep. Dan Brady. One of the two will replace longtime Secretary of State Jesse White, who is retiring from office after 24 years. The winner will head an operation with more than 4,000 employees that oversees driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations, keeps track of business registrations, and maintains an organ and tissue donation registry.

• With Jesse White off statewide ballot for first time in nearly a quarter century, voters faced with fresh choices for Illinois secretary of state

• Alexi Giannoulias and Dan Brady offer differing visions for Illinois secretary of state’s office

• Democrats for secretary of state, other statewide offices hold big financial advantage over GOP contenders

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives $1 million to Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign after backing rival for secretary of state

• State Rep. Dan Brady becomes 1st Republican to announce bid for secretary of state

US Senate

Democrat U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is looking to win a second, six-year term as she faces off against Republican Kathy Salvi. In 2016, Duckworth took the seat once held by Barack Obama by defeating Republican Mark Kirk. Salvi is an attorney from Mundelein and touts a conservative agenda, while Duckworth, an Iraq War Veteran, has become popular enough politician nationally to be shortlisted by President Joe Biden for vice president.

• Republican Kathy Salvi seeks unlikely upset over US Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Illinois Supreme Court

Two of the Illinois Supreme Court’s seven seats are up for grabs and Republicans have a chance to win a majority for the first time in more than half a century.

• In highly political, richly funded contests for Illinois Supreme Court majority, pledges of impartiality stir skepticism

• Ahead of key Illinois Supreme Court elections, federal judge blocks state campaign contribution limits in judicial races

• Justice Mary Jane Theis takes over as chief justice of Illinois Supreme Court

Constitutional amendment question

Should Illinois enshrine into the state constitution the right of workers to unionize and collectively bargain? That question will top ballots statewide.

• Collective bargaining amendment brings national labor fight to Illinois ballot

Congress

Many of the biggest races for Congress occurred in the June primary but there are still several important contests for U.S. House. Illinois’ 17th Congressional District could result in a Republican taking a seat now in Democratic hands and numerous suburban districts are shaping up to be interesting on Election Day.

• 17th District: In the fight for the US House, one of the most important battles is in northwest Illinois

• 6th District: In campaign that has raised social issues, US Rep. Sean Casten looks to cement power against Keith Pekau

• 11th District: Abortion, inflation among key issues as challenger Catalina Lauf takes on incumbent Bill Foster in newly drawn suburban 11th Congressional District

• 14th District: GOP contender Scott Gryder says local experience could help him unseat U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in congressional race

• Seats with no incumbent on the ballot, 1st, 3rd and 13th congressional districts: Challengers vie for seats in U.S. House with no incumbent on the ballot

• Seats where incumbents have an election edge, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 16th congressional districts: Redrawn Illinois congressional map gives most incumbents an election edge over newcomers, but issues such as economy, crime, abortion could also play a factor

Cook County

Every countywide office in Cook County plus every one of the 17 seats seat on the Cook County Board are up during this general election. Atop the list is President Toni Preckwinkle, who is seeking her fourth term in the office versus former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti, who is running as a Republican. A referendum for the Cook County forest preserves is also on the ballot.

• Preckwinkle and Fioretti face off again in race for Cook County Board president with divergent views on finances, crime

• Democrats push hard to cement GOP’s ‘super-duper’ minority on Cook County Board

• Federal oversight of Cook County assessor’s hiring to end; supervision tied to decades-old Shakman patronage lawsuit

• Will Cook County voters back higher taxes for forest preserves?

• Preckwinkle opponent Bob Fioretti criticizes growth in county budget, opposes guaranteed income plan, wants to freeze hiring

• In an election year, Cook County repeals its wheel tax, following moves by some suburbs to end vehicle sticker fees

• Ex.-Ald. Bob Fioretti formally launches Republican bid for Cook County Board president, tying Toni Preckwinkle to Kim Foxx

• Several Republican candidates for Cook County office booted or withdraw from November ballot

• The GOP has put up its largest slate in years to run in Cook County. Some candidates, like ex-alderman Bob Fioretti, are former Democrats.