Big races in Illinois are on the 2026 midterm ballot, including races in the Senate, House and even the seat for Illinois governor. But there are other questions voters will decide on, including whether or not to retain certain judges.
In Illinois, there are three different levels of courts where judges are put before the voters. In some counties, the races are contested, where judges are running against each other. In others, judicial questions on the ballot is about judge retention, with votes taken after either six or 10 years, depending on the court in question.
How can voters find out if judges in their county are recommended for retention or not, and how does the system work? Here’s a breakdown of how to research the judges on your ballot.
Different court levels in Illinois
In the state of Illinois, there are three types of judges that are ultimately elected, and voted upon, by state voters.
At the top of the chart are the five justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, who are elected to 10-year terms and then subject to retention votes every 10 years.
The next level down are the five districts of the state’s Appellate Court, with judges elected to 10-year terms and then subject to retention votes every 10 years.
For both the Appellate and Supreme Courts, the five districts are the same. The First District is strictly Cook County. The Second District covers McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties in the Chicago area. The Third District includes LaSalle, Grundy, DuPage, Will and Kankakee counties.
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The Fourth District is made up primarily of counties in the western part of the state, while the Fifth District covers the southern portion of the state.
Finally there’s the Circuit Court leve. There are 25 judicial circuits in Illinois, and several Chicago-area counties have their own circuits, including McHenry, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Cook and Will counties.
At that level, judges are elected to six-year terms, then face retention votes.
Which judicial races are on your ballot?
In even-numbered years, there are two types of judicial elections you could see on your ballot.
The first are contested elections that typically pit a Republican against a Democrat. Those elections typically occur when a judge retires, or if a judge was appointed to a position in the middle of a term. A candidate only has to win a majority of the votes in those elections to win.
In retention elections, a judge must receive 60% of the vote in order to keep their seat on the bench. If the judge fails to hit that mark, then a replacement is appointed and faces a contested election in the next election cycle.
To help you see which judges are appearing on your ballot, here’s how you can find information on your specimen ballots from your county of residence.
City of Chicago
Cook County
DeKalb County
DuPage County
Grundy County
Kane County
Kankakee County
Kendall County
Lake County
LaSalle County
McHenry County
Will County
How to research judges
Each year the Illinois State Bar Association gives both recommendations and takes polls on judicial candidates. That information can be found here.
If you live in Cook County, Injustice Watch publishes a yearly guide on judges for voters to survey before heading to their polling place.
The Chicago Council of Lawyers also publishes a yearly guide on Cook County judges.
In the state of Illinois, it is legal to bring a cheat sheet or other document to the polls in order to remember which judges you want to vote for or against. You can also use your phone to do so.
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