In addition to a slew of gubernatorial and congressional candidates, voters in Illinois will see judges on their ballot for the 2026 primary election too.
No Illinois Supreme Court vacancies are on the ballot this year, so voters are tasked with electing judges at the appellate and circuit court levels. Voters will see their judicial selections will play out in rulings over criminal cases, evictions, traffic tickets and many other decisions that impact Illinoisians everyday life.
Circuit court judges serve six-year terms and hear a wide range of cases, including divorce and custody, major civil disputes, traffic, personal injury, and serious criminal cases. The circuit courts are a state’s general trial court, handling all initial legal cases. A case heard at the circuit court level can be appealed upward to the appellate court.
A step below the Illinois Supreme Court, appellate court judges serve 10-year terms and rule on appealed cases that were originally decided by circuit courts. After an appeal is heard, the Illinois Supreme Court can be asked to review a decision from an appellate court. Illinois appellate courts are divided into five districts that are further divided by subcircuits.
Once elected, judges in Illinois run for “retention” in a general election, giving them the opportunity to serve for six years without facing challengers.
With nearly 50 judicial candidates running for 29 vacancies in Cook County alone, researching who to support can be dauting.
Here’s a breakdown of how to prepare to cast your vote during the 2026 primary election.
What appellate court district am I in?
Appellate courts in Illinois consist of 54 judges who are divided into five districts.
The First District is entirely comprised by Cook County. Cook County is divided into 20 subcircuits, though not all have vacant seats in this year’s election. Across the county, 46 candidates are running for 29 judicial vacancies. A Cook County voter’s subcircuit will determine what candidates appear on their ballot.
The Second District includes DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry Counties.
Seven Northeast Illinois counties, including Bureau, DuPage, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, LaSalle and Will make up the Third District Appellate Court.
Out near Springfield, the Fourth District Appellate Court hears cases from trial courts in 41 counties, including Sangamon, Ford, Henry, Carroll, Lee, Boone and Winnebago.
Finally, downstate, the Fifth District Appellate Court hears appeals cases from trial courts in 48 counties including Jasper, Champaign, Macon, and Monroe.
A map of subcircuits across the five districts can be found here.
How can I research judges?
Several local professional associations of attorneys release recommendations for judicial candidates ahead of elections.
The Illinois State Bar Association released a summary of judicial evaluations and advisory polls by county on their website, allowing voters across the state to take a closer look at the candidates on their ballot.
The Chicago Bar Association released recommendations based on independent screenings of the candidates in Cook County and for the appellate vacancy in the First District that opened after the death of Justice Thomas E. Hoffman in July 2025.
Also for those in Cook County, another resource to research judges on the ballot is Injustice Watch’s interactive guide to the 2026 Cook County judicial primary elections.
Unlike the Illinois State Bar and Chicago Bar Associations, Injustice Watch is not making recommendations or endorsements for candidates in their judicial guide. Instead, their team of investigative reporters compiled information on each candidate so voters can make their own decision about who to elect.
Injustice Watch’s guide allows voters to search by their subcircuit or address to see what candidates will appear on their ballot. The interactive features allow users to mark the candidates they support as they go through the guide and print a summary of their selections at the end.
Icons on Injustice Watch’s guide indicate specific facts about each candidate, including past controversy, negative ratings or highly qualified ratings, and if they are a Democratic Party pick, among others.
In addition to CBA and ISBA, several other local and state bar associations have also released recommendations for judicial candidates, including the following:
Arab American Bar Association Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area Black Men’s Lawyers’ Association Chicago Council of Lawyers Cook County Bar Association Decalogue Society of Lawyers Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association Puerto Rican Bar Association Women’s Bar Association of IllinoisHence then, the article about how to check if judges are recommended on your ballot for the 2026 primary election was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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