Candidate filing period nears along with changes to the Auditor’s office

Candidate filing is still a month away, but election season has already begun. From local elections to state-wide races, candidates have already begun announcing their intentions to run. So far, however, no one is officially on the ballot, because the window to file candidacy paperwork is still more than a month away.

Ahead of the filing period, however, Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers and Taxes and Elections Administrator Cortnee Bernier told WTIP about what aspiring elected officials should be aware of, and what changes are in store for Cook County voters.

Those looking to officially declare their candidacy can fill out an affidavit of candidacy from the Auditor’s office at the Cook County Courthouse. Bernier said the affidavit takes only a few minutes to complete. The early filing window, during which those seeking county offices should file, begins on May 19 at 8 a.m. and runs through June 2 at 5 p.m.

This year will also see a change for voters. A new state law requires counties to offer early voting for residents, beginning 19 days before an election. At the April 14 Board of Commissioners meeting the board approved a change to the Auditor’s office in the courthouse. The Maintenance department will undertake the work to adjust the existing space to create a new window and allow for the installation of a new voting machine for early voting.

Bernier explained that anyone in the county will be able to cast an early ballot, whether they are part of the two precincts that typically participate in in-person voting, or one of the twelve precincts that use mail voting. Powers said that the Secretary of State already had a system for keeping track of ballots to ensure that no voters cast ballots both by mail and in person.

The county positions that will be up for election in 2026 are:

• Cook County Sheriff
• Cook County Attorney
• Cook County Auditor-Treasurer
• County Commissioner District 1
• County Commissioner District 3
• County Commissioner District 5
• Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor District 2
• Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor District 4

Seats for the North Shore Hospital Board and ISD 166 school board will also be on the ballot this year, though candidates for those offices will file during a later period in July.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers and Taxes and Elections Administrator Cortnee Bernier about the upcoming candidate filing period, changes for voters, and an update from the county board meeting. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski April 15, 2026