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Illinois state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

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2018 Illinois
State Legislature elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryMarch 20, 2018
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:


The Democratic primary elections for the seats in the Illinois State Senate and Illinois House of Representatives were on March 20, 2018. For information about the Republican primary elections in Illinois, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 4, 2017. In the state Senate, 39 of 59 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 118 seats were up for election.

Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

Retiring state Senate incumbents

Three Democratic state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:

Retiring state House incumbents

Eight Democratic state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:

State Senate incumbents defeated

One Democratic state Senate incumbent was defeated in the 2018 primary election:

State House incumbents defeated

One Democratic state House incumbent was defeated in the 2018 primary election:

Competitiveness

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Illinois state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

There were 28 open seats in 2018, which was twice the amount of the 14 open seats in both 2016 and 2014. The 34 contested Democratic primaries was up from 18 in 2016 and 13 in 2014. The 27 contested Republican primaries was up from 15 in 2016 and 16 in 2014. The 346 candidates running was up from 266 in 2016 and 228 in 2014.


Partisan control

The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate as of July 2018:

Illinois House of Representatives

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 66
     Republican Party 51
     Vacancies 1
Total 118

Illinois State Senate

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 37
     Republican Party 22
     Vacancies 0
Total 59
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Ballotpedia identified one race to watch in the 2018 Illinois state legislative Democratic primaries. To read more about this primary and see where it was located, click here.
  • As of November 2017, Illinois was one of 18 states under divided government and not one of the 32 states under a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.



    • Races to watch

    Illinois State Legislature: Democratic primaries
    Battleground races
    Senate seats
    Democratic Party Senate District 8

    Ballotpedia identified one race to watch in the 2018 Illinois state legislative Democratic primary elections. Primaries designated as races to watch had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Democratic caucus or had an impact on general election races.

    To determine the Illinois state legislative Democratic primary races to watch in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

    1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
    2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
    3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.



    Senate Races We Watched

    This map shows the 2018 Illinois State Senate Democratic primaries that we watched.

    Senate District 8

    Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

    Yes.

    What made this a race to watch?

    This was a race that received media attention and high-profile endorsements after the incumbent was accused of sexual harassment. On October 31, 2017, incumbent Ira Silverstein (D) was accused of sexual harassment by lobbyist Denise Rotheimer at a legislative hearing about sexual misconduct at the Illinois State Capitol. On November 1, Silverstein resigned as majority caucus leader. On November 20, NBC Chicago reported that at least four Democrats were planning to challenge Silverstein in his primary. Challenger Ram Villivalam was endorsed by state Sen. Laura Murphy (D), who also called for Silverstein to resign his seat after the sexual harassment allegations.[1] On November 28, Politico reported that U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) endorsed Villivalam.[2] On January 8, 2018, Equality Illinois endosed Villivalam, and on February 22, 2018, the Chicago Tribune endorsed him.[3][4]


    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Illinois uses an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party, but they do have to choose, publicly, which party's ballot they will vote on at the primary election.[5][6]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In Illinois, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[7]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in Illinois, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days prior to election day, and at least 18 years old by election day. A 17-year-old may vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 years old at the subsequent general election. Preregistration is available starting at age 16.[8][9]

    Regular registration closes during the period beginning 27 days prior to an election and ending two days after the election. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. Grace period registration is available in person through election day at certain locations.[8]

    Prospective voters can register online, by mail, or at any of the following locations:[10]

    “
    • County Clerk's Office
    • Board of Election Commissioner's Office
    • City and Village Offices
    • Township Offices
    • Precinct Committeeman
    • Schools
    • Public Libraries
    • Military Recruitment Offices[11]
    		 ”

    Two forms of identification are required to register in person, one of which must display the voter's current address.[8]

    Automatic registration

    Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies.

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Illinois has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    Illinois allows same-day voter registration.

    Residency requirements

    Illinois law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Illinois does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[12] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The Registration Lookup page, run by the Illinois Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

    Voter ID requirements

    Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of their social security number, or other form of ID are required to present identification showing their name and address before voting.

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.

    “
    • A current and valid photo identification
    • Utility bill
    • Bank statement
    • Government check
    • Paycheck
    • Lease or contract for residence
    • Student ID & mail addressed to voter’s residence
    • Government document[13][11]
    		 ”

    Early voting

    Illinois permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Illinois. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting by mail.[14]

    To vote by mail, a ballot application must be received by the election office between 90 and five days prior to the election if sent by mail. An application submitted in-person must be received no later than the day before the election. A returned absentee/mail-in ballot must then be postmarked no later than midnight the night before election and received no later than 14 days after the election.[14]

    Voters can sign up for a permanent vote-by-mail list and automatically receive vote-by-mail ballots for subsequent elections.[15]


    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Murphy Endorses Villivalam For Senate, Calls For Silverstein to Step Down," November 20, 2017
    2. ↑ Politico, "Illinois Playbook," November 28, 2017
    3. ↑ Politico, "Illinois Playbook," accessed January 9, 2018
    4. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Endorsements for the Illinois Senate," February 22, 2018
    5. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5/7-41," accessed August 12, 2024
    6. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
    7. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Day Information," accessed August 12, 2024
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Illinois State Board of Elections, "Registering to Vote in Illinois," accessed August 12, 2024
    9. ↑ Ballotpedia Legislation Tracker, "Illinois SB2123," accessed August 12, 2024
    10. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed August 12, 2024
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    12. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    13. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Illinois Voter Information," June 16, 2015
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5, Article 19. Voting by Mail," accessed August 12, 2024
    15. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of SB0825," accessed July 6, 2021
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