Eye On Illinois: It’s never too early to think about the next election

Welcome to campaign season!Oh sure, 2026 voting ends today – polls are open until 7 p.m.! – but while we wait for authorities to finalize those results, why not look ahead to 2027?It’s exactly 16 weeks until the consolidated primary election on Feb. 23. Not every jurisdiction requires a primary, so you might be waiting another six weeks for the actual election. But candidates should already be working on campaign infrastructure. Primary candidates filed nomination petitions in October; those who file only for the general election have from Nov. 16 to Nov. 23.Although municipal elections in Illinois can be partisan or nonpartisan, and many other offices like school and library boards are explicitly nonpartisan, organizers already are channeling general election energy straight into local races. That’s not to say it’s too late to decide to run (don’t sleep on the importance of economic interest statements), just a reminder that the push for power never fully abates.Even if you’re not see