Voters across the West Side will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to cast ballots in a general election featuring congressional, statewide and local races, including contests that will shape the future of Chicago Public Schools.
For Austin residents, the ballot includes a much anticipated race for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, where state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford is seeking election to the U.S. House, as well as elections for the Chicago Board of Education. Cook County voters will also weigh in on an advisory question concerning a proposed income tax surcharge on millionaires.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election officials will allow anyone already in line by 7 p.m. to cast a ballot.
Where and when to vote
Chicago residents can vote at their assigned neighborhood polling place on Election Day. Because polling locations are determined by a voter’s registration address and precinct, residents should verify their location before heading out.
Voters can find their assigned polling place through the Chicago Board of Elections’ voter information lookup, which also provides access to sample ballots.
Voters do not need a government-issued photo ID to cast a regular ballot, although identification may be requested if election officials have questions about a voter’s registration or address.
Ford seeks seat in Congress
State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, a Democrat who has represented Illinois’ 8th House District since 2007, is running for the 7th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.
Ford faces Republican Chad Koppie and independent write-in candidate Lien Choi in the Nov. 3 general election.
Ford’s campaign has centered on lowering costs for working families, protecting federal benefit programs and expanding access to health care and affordable housing. In a candidate questionnaire published by WTTW, Ford also identified federal investment in workforce development, neighborhood health care, infrastructure and small-business lending as priorities for the district.
The 7th Congressional District includes much of Chicago’s West Side, including Austin.
School board races put CPS leadership in focus
Chicago voters will also elect representatives to the Chicago Board of Education, which oversees Chicago Public Schools, including its multibillion-dollar budget, academic calendar and major district policies.
The 2026 election continues the transition to a fully elected school board. Voters will elect representatives to the board’s district subdivisions, along with a citywide board president.
Austin is part of the West Side’s Board of Education District 5, which includes two separate contests:
In District 5A, incumbent Aaron “Jitu” Brown is facing LaPamela Williams. Kernetha Jones is also running as a write-in candidate. The four-year seat covers a broad stretch of the West Side, including Austin and portions of nearby neighborhoods.
In District 5B, incumbent Michilla “Kyla” Blaise is facing challenger Anthony Hargrove in a contest for a two-year term.
Cook County voters to weigh advisory tax question
Cook County voters will see an advisory referendum asking whether Illinois should adopt a 3% income tax surcharge on millionaires, with half of the revenue directed toward property tax relief for residential and commercial taxpayers and the other half toward public education funding.
The question is nonbinding, meaning the results will not directly change state tax policy. Instead, the referendum will measure public support for the proposal.