2027 Special Mayoral Election

Because more than two candidates filed, a Consolidated Primary will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2027. The top two candidates advance to the April 6, 2027, Consolidated Election. The winner serves the remainder of the current mayoral term, through May 2029.

Voter registration, vote by mail, and early voting for Evanston are run by the Cook County Clerk’s Office. Early voting locations, hours, and drop box locations are posted at cookcountyclerkil.gov.

February 23, 2027 Consolidated Primary

April 6, 2027 Consolidated Election

A candidate who wants to withdraw must file a signed, notarized withdrawal of candidacy with the office where their nomination papers were filed, which for Mayor is the Office of the City Clerk (10 ILCS 5/10-7).

Deadline: A withdrawal must be filed no later than the date candidates are certified for the ballot, Thursday, December 17, 2026, for the February 23, 2027 Consolidated Primary. Once that date passes, a candidate’s name stays on the ballot.

Withdrawal of Candidacy form (PDF)

Under Illinois law (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50(f), as amended in 2024), a special election is held to fill a mayoral vacancy when two conditions are both met:

1. At least 28 months remain in the unexpired mayoral term; and
2. The vacancy occurs before the period to file petitions for the next general municipal election opens.

Both conditions were met. The office of Mayor became vacant effective October 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM, under a notarized resignation submitted to the City Clerk on July 21, 2026, before the candidate filing period opened on October 19, 2026, and with more than 28 months remaining in the term. The special mayoral race will appear on the ballot for the April 6, 2027, Consolidated Election, and because six candidates filed, a Consolidated Primary will be held on February 23, 2027. The successful candidate serves the remainder of the current term, through May 2029.

Why There Is a Primary

Evanston elects its Mayor in nonpartisan elections, so no party affiliation appears next to candidates’ names. Under Evanston’s November 3, 1992 referendum (Resolution 69-R-92), a mayoral primary is held only when more than two candidates file. Six candidates filed, so the February 23, 2027 Consolidated Primary will narrow the field to the two candidates who receive the most votes, and those two will appear on the April 6, 2027 Consolidated Election ballot.

Write-in candidates follow a different filing path and a different election authority than candidates whose names are printed on the ballot.

Where to file

Write-in declarations (Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate, SBE Form P-1F) are filed with the election authority; for Evanston offices, that is the Cook County Clerk, not the Evanston City Clerk and not the State Board of Elections. Forms are supplied by the election authority and must be notarized.

Deadlines

For the February 23, 2027 Consolidated Primary: no later than Thursday, December 24, 2026.
For the April 6, 2027 Consolidated Election: no later than Thursday, February 4, 2027 (61 days before the election).

Key Rules (10 ILCS 5/17-16.1, 5/18-9.1, 5/7-59(b), 5/7-60, 5/10-10)

• Only declared write-ins are counted. Write-in votes for any person who has not filed a notarized Declaration of Intent will not be tabulated. Write-in lines print on the ballot only when at least one declaration is on file.
• Late-filing exception: if an objection to nominating papers is sustained after the 61st day before the election, that candidate may file a Declaration of Intent up to 7 days before the election (10 ILCS 5/10-10).
• Primary losers cannot run as write-ins. A candidate defeated for nomination at a nonpartisan primary is ineligible to file a Declaration of Intent for that same general/consolidated election cycle.
• If a write-in wins: within 10 days of canvass, file the Statement of Candidacy, SOEI receipt, and (optional) Loyalty Oath with the certifying authority (10 ILCS 5/7-60).

Stephanie Mendoza, Evanston City Clerk, Local Election Official

Voting Resources

• Cook County Clerk’s Office: cookcountyclerkil.gov, to check your registration, request a vote by mail ballot, and find early voting and Election Day polling places
• Cook County Clerk, 2027 Elections: 2027 election dates and early voting locations
• Register to vote online: ova.elections.il.gov
• Illinois State Board of Elections: elections.il.gov, for the statewide election calendar and campaign disclosure reports

This page is not a replacement for legal counsel. The City Clerk’s Office cannot provide legal advice. Dates are based on the Cook County Clerk’s Office and the Illinois State Board of Elections’ 2027 calendars.