2026 Chicago School
Board Election
For the first time, Chicago Public Schools will be overseen by a fully-elected school board. These officials are responsible for the education of about 300,000 children across more than 600 schools and will set priorities for the next two years. All voters, whether they have students in CPS or not, can cast a ballot for a school board president and a representative for their district.
KEY DATES
Oct. 1
Early voting begins downtown
Oct. 18
Last day to register to vote online
Oct. 19
Early voting begins in all 50 wards
Oct. 29
Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot
Nov. 3
Election Day
In-person registration is allowed with two forms of ID, including one with your current address.
FIND YOUR SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT
Explore the map below to learn about who’s running and about the demographics and public schools in each district.
Click “Find your district” in the upper left hand corner to get started.
Election Coverage Partners
FEATURED ELECTION COVERAGE
For the first time, Chicago Public Schools will be overseen by a fully-elected school board. Find your district and learn about who’s running and about the demographics and public schools in each.
A multilingual reporting collaboration featuring 17 news organizations.
For the first time, Chicagoans will elect the entire Board of Education. Find which district you vote in and compare candidates.
The Chicago Board of Education president represents the board publicly, runs board meetings, and helps set the agenda. The person elected will lead the board for the next four years.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Ed Bannon or Margie Luczak could represent include Edison Park, Norwood Park, and Jefferson Park.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Claudia Peralta or Michelle Pierre could represent include Portage Park, Dunning, Irving Park, Belmont Cragin, North Park, Montclare, and Albany Park.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Ebony DeBerry, Bruce Leon, or Hector Morales could represent include West Ridge, Rogers Park, and North Park.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Debby Pope, Kyna Lenhof, or Daniel Basco could represent include Lincoln Square, Edgewater, Albany Park, Uptown, and North Park.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Norma Rios Sierra or Peter Gonzales could represent include Avondale, Irving Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Albany Park.
The Chicago neighborhoods that Jason Dónes or Carlos Rivas Jr. could represent include Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, West Town, Hermosa.