Why are most Illinois schools closed on Election Day?

While many students will still attend classes on Election Day next week, most public school students in Illinois won’t be among them.

Under provisions of an amendment to Illinois’ school code, Election Day is an official state holiday for the 2024 election season, meaning that children in K-12 public schools will not be required to attend classes.

The law also holds that any school that doesn’t have instruction on Election Day can be used by local authorities as a polling place.

In addition to public schools, courthouses and other local and state government facilities, including Secretary of State’s Driver’s Services facilities, will also be closed on Election Day.

Private schools are not included in the terms of the legislation, meaning that students in those institutions may still have class on Tuesday. Universities are also not included, with students in the University of Illinois system still having classes on Election Day.

There have been efforts in the past to make Election Day a federal holiday, but those efforts have not been successful thus far. As a result, many banks, federal facilities including courthouses, and most businesses will be open on Tuesday, according to officials.