The Cook County Clerk’s Office has released its comprehensive post-election report for the March 17 Gubernatorial Primary Election, providing an in-depth look at voter participation, election trends and results across suburban Cook County.
One of the report’s key findings was the continued growth of pre-Election Day voting. For the first time in a gubernatorial primary election, half of all ballots were cast before Election Day.
In total, 196,729 voters took advantage of early voting, mail voting, or grace period registration and voting, setting a new primary election record. Mail voting increased more than 41 percent compared to 2022, while early voting rose nearly 57 percent.
The report also found that turnout exceeded participation levels seen in recent gubernatorial primaries. A total of 394,256 ballots were cast among a record 1,727,843 registered voters, resulting in a 22.82% turnout rate. Turnout surpassed both the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary (20%) and the 2014 Primary (16%), while suburban Cook County recorded its largest registered voter base ever for a primary election.
“This report provides valuable insight into how voters are engaging with our elections and how those habits continue to evolve,” said Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon. “The data helps inform our work as we remain committed to administering elections that are secure, accessible, and transparent for every voter we serve.”
In addition to election data and trends, the report highlights new initiatives introduced during the 2026 Primary, including the Defenders of DA’mocracy, a civic education program which brought fully operational early voting sites to 24 suburban high schools, including Homewood-Flossmoor High, through a partnership with the Chicago Bears, and Election Lens, the first-of-its-kind real-time election analytics platform designed to enhance election administration and transparency.
The 2026 Gubernatorial Primary Post-Election Report, complete election results, and printable election maps are available at cookcountyclerk.com/elections.
