Kane County releases 2026 candidate packets online
Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham recently announced that petition packets for established party candidates running for local offices at the March 17, 2026 General Primary Election are now available online at the Kane County Clerk’s website, clerk.kanecountyil.gov/Elections/Pages/Offices-Up-For-Election.aspx, and at the county clerk’s office locations in Geneva and Aurora.
Clerk Cunningham said, “We are quickly approaching the beginning of the 2026 election cycle. Candidates interested in running for office at the county or precinct level can find sample copies of fillable forms, including nominating petitions, online through our website. My office has always promoted accessibility of services for county residents, and we provide resources for those individuals seeking to serve the public and run for local office.”
Packets (including petitions, statement of candidacy, loyalty oath, statement of economic Interests, signature requirements, filing deadlines, and other candidate information and forms) are available for Democratic and Republican Party candidates for the following local offices: County Clerk; County Sheriff; County Treasurer; Regional Superintendent of Schools; County Board districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23; and Precinct Committeeperson.
The first day for candidates to circulate nominating petitions is Aug. 5.
Nominating papers may be filed in person or by mail at the Geneva office only, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building B, Geneva, IL 60134, but if mailed, must be received during the filing period in order to be considered timely.
The first day of the filing period is Oct. 27 and the clerk’s office will begin accepting filings at 8:30 a.m. The final day of the filing period is Nov. 3, and the office will be open until 5 p.m. Any filing submitted prior to the opening of the filing period or after the close of the filing period will not be accepted.
Simultaneous filings of candidate nominating petitions for the same office occur for those candidates in line at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 27 or for petitions received after midnight on Oct. 27 for filing in the first U.S. Postal Service delivery of that day.
Simultaneous filings can also occur Nov. 3 during the last hour of the filing deadline between 4-5 p.m. A lottery will be held in November to determine ballot placement of simultaneous filings.
It is strongly recommended that prospective candidates review the information and obtain legal advice when preparing nominating papers. The clerk’s office cannot review nominating papers or provide legal advice.
The county clerk’s office will publish an election calendar with important dates for the 2026 and 2027 election cycles in the near future and it will be available on the clerk’s website, clerk.kanecountyil.gov/Elections.
Candidates for other offices, including state or federal office as well as presidential delegates can find additional information in the election calendar published by the Illinois State Board of Elections, available at www.elections.il.gov.
The clerk’s office strives to be the most transparent election authority in Illinois. Clerk Cunningham has developed innovative ways to serve the public, including expanding early voting, establishing a call center to resolve Election Day issues, developing a Voter Outreach Program to increase voter registration and early voting, and improving technology.
Election information is available at clerk.kanecountyil.gov/Elections, x.com/kanecoilclerk, or facebook.com/kanecountyclerk.