Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Ballot access requirements for political parties in Illinois
 in Illinois |
 |
| Ballot access for major and minor party candidates |
|---|
| Ballot access for presidential candidates |
| Select a state below to learn more about ballot access requirements for candidates in that state. |
|
|
| Ballot access requirements for political parties in the United States |
| List of political parties in the United States |
| Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker |
Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
|
Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Illinois, click here.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 10 of the Illinois Statutes
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, "A new political party is created when nomination papers are filed for a new political group within a specific district or a political subdivision. If the new party receives more than 5% of the total votes cast at the consolidated election, it becomes an established political party as to any district or political subdivision thereof."[1]
Any group intending to create a new political party must file a new party petition. Signature requirements for the petition are as follows:[2]
| Political subdivision | Statutory signature requirement |
|---|---|
| Statewide | Either 1% of voters who voted at the last statewide general election, or 25,000 voters, whichever is less |
| Congressional district | 5% of voters who voted at the last general election in that district, or the number of signatures required to gain state recognition, whichever is less[3] |
| Illinois State Senate district | 5% of voters who voted at the last general election in that district, or the number of signatures required to gain state recognition, whichever is less[4] |
| Illinois House of Representatives district | 5% of voters who voted at the last general election in that district, or the number of signatures required to gain state recognition, whichever is less[5] |
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, "A political group wishing to form a new political party within a municipality must file petitions with a full slate of candidates for such political subdivision. The following court case has held that the full-slate requirement for new political parties is unconstitutional: Libertarian Party of Illinois v. ISBE, et al., ... Upon such filing, a new political party is created. That new political party remains a new political party for the election for which it filed a full slate of candidates. If the new political party receives more than 5% of the votes cast at that election, it becomes an established political party. If it does not, it ceases to exist."[1]
Once the petition and nomination papers have been filed, the new political party may place its candidates on the general election ballot, but the party will not be officially recognized as an established political party unless its candidates receive at least 5% of the total number of votes cast for the offices for which the party ran candidates. If the new political party ran a candidate for gubernatorial office and that candidate received at least 5% of the votes cast for that office, the new political party will be recognized as an established political party statewide.[2]
Only established political parties may nominate candidates by primary.[6]
Political parties
As of May 2024, Illinois officially recognized two political parties. These are listed in the table below.[7]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Illinois | Link | National party platform |
| Republican Party of Illinois | Link | Platform |
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Illinois
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Illinois
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Illinois
- Republican Party of Illinois
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Illinois State Board of Elections, "State of Illinois 2025 Candidate's Guide 2025," amended August 1, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 ILGA.GOV, "ELECTIONS - (10 ILCS 5/) Election Code (Sec. 10-2)," accessed July 7, 2025
- ↑ Or, 5,000 signatures for the first election after redistricting.
- ↑ Or, 3,000 signatures for the first election after redistricting.
- ↑ Or, 1,500 signatures for the first election after redistricting.
- ↑ ILGA.GOV, "ELECTIONS - (10 ILCS 5/) Election Code (Sec. 7-2)," accessed July 7, 2025
- ↑ [file:///Users/madisonsinclair/Downloads/r-19_638514676399307064.pdf Illinois State Board of Elections, "ILLINOIS VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION," accessed May 16, 2024]
 |
State of Illinois Springfield (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
