Oak Park polls open through 7 p.m. for Nov. 3 election

Oak Park polling places are open to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2026 general election, according to the village of Oak Park.

Voters must cast ballots at their designated precinct polling place. Residents in precinct 15 who previously voted at the J.L. Hedges Administration Office are now assigned to Village Hall, the village said.

Not sure where to vote? Look up your polling place through the Cook County Clerk's voter information tool.

What's on the ballot

Oak Park sits in Illinois' 7th Congressional District, where state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat, faces Republican Chad Koppie to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. Ford, 54, has represented parts of the West Side and western suburbs in the Illinois House since 2007, the Chicago Tribune reported. The district stretches from Oak Park and Maywood through Chicago's West Side to downtown.

Statewide, voters will choose a governor, a U.S. senator and candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and comptroller. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat seeking a third term, faces Republican Darren Bailey, according to Axios Chicago. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. She faces Republican Don Tracy and independent Whitfield Harrington Jr.

All 118 Illinois House seats and 39 of 59 state Senate seats are also on the ballot.

Two advisory referendums

Oak Park ballots include a village-specific advisory question: whether Illinois should repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott Israel. The question reached the ballot after a group called Oak Parkers for Free Speech gathered more than 3,500 signatures, the Chicago Tribune reported. Oak Park's Electoral Board voted 2-1 in August to keep the question on the ballot, and the Illinois Appellate Court affirmed that decision.

Cook County voters will also see an advisory referendum on a proposed 3% income tax surcharge on millionaires, with revenue split between property tax relief and public education funding, Fox 32 reported. Advisory referendums gauge public opinion but do not directly change law.

Registration and ID

Illinois allows same-day voter registration. Unregistered residents can register and vote on Election Day at a designated site, but they must vote at that same location, CBS Chicago reported.

Same-day registrants need two forms of identification, at least one showing a current address. Acceptable forms include a driver's license, state ID, bank statement, lease or utility bill, according to the Oakton College election guide.

Already registered voters do not need an ID to vote at their assigned polling place under Illinois law, according to Fox 2.

Mail ballots

Mail ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 and sincerely sincerely received within 14 days of Election Day to be counted. Voters mailing ballots close to the deadline are encouraged to request a manual postmark at the post office counter. Drop box locations are listed on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

The secure ballot drop box inside Oak Park Village Hall was available through Nov. 2 during early voting hours only, according to the village's early voting page.

Accessibility and help

Visually impaired or print-disabled voters can request an accessible mail ballot by calling 312-603-0942, according to the Oakton election guide. Federal law requires every polling place to have at least one voting system that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently.

If you run into problems at the polls, the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline offers help: 866-687-8683 (English), 888-839-8682 (Spanish) or 888-274-8683 (Asian languages).