Scroll down and enter your address in the sample ballot tool to see your ballot

Who will you be voting for when you head to the polls for the Illinois primary election on Tuesday?

The races you see on your ballot will depend on where you live, so it’s important to know which contests you’ll be voting on, especially in a year where there are five incumbents not seeking reelection in the House and another in the Senate.

There is also a race for Illinois governor, as well as every other statewide office.

This year’s primary for Democrats and Republicans will be held on Tuesday, March 17.

See who’s on your ballot

Use the tool below to see which races will appear on your ballot based on your location:

(NOTE: Judges will not appear on the ballot below. For more information on that click here.)

*If you are an android user, click this link to access the tool.

Races to watch

While Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, several Republican candidates are hoping to face him in the November election.

In the battle for U.S. Senate, there are some major contenders on both sides of the aisle after Sen. Dick Durbin’s decided to retire following more than 30 years in office.

Primaries will take place in all of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts, with races in the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th districts among those being closely watched. Also on the ballot are contests for Illinois Comptroller and Cook County Board President.

You can find more information on races to watch here.

Voter Guide

Additional information on the races, and what else you need to be know about the upcoming election, can be located on our Illinois voter’s guide here.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a sometimes-discordant history.

The storied Chicago Bears want to leave historic Soldier Field, where they’ve played for half a century. Indiana lawmakers are attempting to lure them from the Windy City with a plan to finance and build a domed stadium in Hammond, Indiana, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from their current home on Lake Michigan’s shore.

The Illinois General Assembly has responded with legislation that would give tax breaks to so-called megaprojects of at least $100 million, a plan that would encompass the Bears’ proposal to build a complex in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, about the same distance from Soldier Field as Hammond.

Critics complain it’s a bad deal for Illinois, where property taxes are already among the highest in the nation — especially when taxpayers still owe hundreds of millions of dollars on a Soldier Field renovation from two decades ago.

Here’s a look at what’s shaping up to be a showdown.

Why the big deal?

The Bears, one of only two remaining NFL founding members, are legend. Their nine championships, including a Super Bowl win, are second only to the rival Green Bay Packers — though recent decades have brought mostly heartbreak. The franchise carries an $8.9 billion price tag, among the most valuable of the NFL’s 32 teams, according to Forbes.

Born in the central Illinois city of Decatur in 1920, the Bears have called Chicago home for 105 years. Losing them to the Hoosier State would be a major thumb in the eye.

What’s wrong with Soldier Field?

With 61,500 seats, it’s the NFL’s smallest. The Bears have always rented their facilities — the Cubs’ Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970, and Soldier Field, maintained by the Chicago Park District, since. Like most teams, they want to own a stadium, giving them control over operations, scheduling and revenue streams from ticket sales, concessions, parking, naming rights and more.

And Soldier Field is open air. An enclosed facility would allow for other marquee sporting events: Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours or WrestleMania, for instance.

Why the imbroglio between the states?

Along with the states’ established cultural and economic differences and an intense college basketball rivalry, the political fissure between Democrat-dominated Chicago and conservative Indiana has widened. It amped up last year when Indiana adopted a commission to study changing the state’s boundaries to include some central Illinois counties whose voters have approved ballot measures calling for secession from Chicagoland.

Arlington Heights, back to Chicago, to Hammond

The Bears have threatened to leave Chicago previously. When they broached moving in 1975, then-Mayor Richard J. Daley replied, “Like hell they will.”

But the City of Big Shoulders heaved an anxious sigh in 2023 when the Bears paid about $200 million for a 326-acre (132-hectare) former horse-racing track in Arlington Heights. They have envisioned a $5 billion, taxpayer-assisted development for a domed stadium and campus of housing, hotels, entertainment and retail space.

In 2024, the Bears offered a $5 billion plan, partially taxpayer-funded, for an enclosed stadium next to Soldier Field, which garnered little interest in the capital of Springfield. Late last fall, the team turned to Indiana.

Where the proposals stand

Indiana’s lure creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a domed stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed it into law on Feb. 26. The Bears would agree to a 35-year lease. Borrowed state money would cover the as-yet-unknown cost of construction, repaid by increased local hospitality taxes.

In Illinois, majority Democrats have advanced legislation in the House that would provide incentives for any so-called megaproject of at least $500 million — or less, down to $100 million, depending on the number of jobs created. Developers would pay property taxes frozen at the parcel’s pre-construction value for as long as 45 years. During that time, they would make annual payments in lieu of taxes negotiated with local governments. There would also be a sales tax exemption on building materials for up to 15 years.

Critics claim weakness in Illinois plan

Opponents say the Illinois legislation, with its decades-long property tax freeze, would simply mean increased taxes for homeowners and other businesses — the payment in lieu of taxes would be a bonus.

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who supports the plan, last week countered that the proposal would encourage development on land that isn’t producing property taxes while ensuring increased revenue for local governments.

Meanwhile, a substantial debt remains on the last accommodation. Taxpayers in 2001 put up $399 million to finance a $587 million renovation of Soldier Field. With interest, the remaining tab is $467 million, according to the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Advertisement

The Bears’ $7 million annual lease runs through 2033. Breaking it would cost the Bears a $10.5 million penalty for each year left on the agreement.

Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Nick Boyd scored a career-high 38 points, John Blackwell added 31 and No. 23 Wisconsin rallied from 15 down in the second half to beat No. 9 Illinois 91-88 in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.

It was tied at 80 in overtime when Boyd scored in the paint and Austin Rapp nailed a 3 to give Wisconsin a five-point lead with 2:33 remaining.

The Badgers were up by four with about a minute left when Boyd rebounded a missed 3 by Rapp. That led to two free throws for Blackwell, making it 87-81 with 46 seconds left.

Illinois got within 90-88 on David Mirkovic’s layup with six seconds remaining. Wisconsin’s Braeden Carrington then missed a free throw and hit the second to make it a three-point game before Illinois’ Keaton Wagler missed a long 3 at the buzzer.

The Badgers (24-9) advanced to the semifinals against No. 3 Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines, seeking their second straight Big Ten Tournament title, held off Ohio State 71-67.

Boyd surpassed his previous high of 36 points in a win against Providence on Nov. 27. Blackwell, coming off a career-best 34 a day earlier against Washington, became Wisconsin’s all-time leading scorer in Big Ten Tournament games with 144 points.

Wagler and Mirkovic each scored 19 for Illinois (24-8). Andrej Stojakovic had 17 points and seven rebounds.

Illinois appeared to be in good shape leading 60-45 midway through the second half, only to have Wisconsin charge back. The Badgers trailed 67-63 when Blackwell made a 3, Boyd hit two free throws and Rapp made two more to put them on top 70-67 with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. Stojakovic then hit a tying 3 for Illinois.

It was tied at 76 when Stojakovic rebounded a missed 3 by Wisconsin’s Aleksas Bieliauskas and drove for a layup to put Illinois on top with just over a minute remaining.

Blackwell then hit two tying free throws. Wagler missed a hook for Illinois, and Blackwell missed a long 3 just before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Up next

Wisconsin faces No. 3 Michigan in a semifinal on Saturday. Wisconsin handed Michigan its first loss when it beat the Wolverines 91-88 in Ann Arbor on Jan. 10.