Primary Rules
How Illinois's Primary Works
Illinois uses a Open Primary system
Open Primary
Any registered voter can vote in any party's primary, regardless of their own party affiliation or registration status.
Voter file data: L2 Data · Registration counts: Illinois Secretary of State · Updated May 15, 2026
Illinois Voter Registration
& Party Affiliation Statistics
Total Registered
8,399,862
Most Active Primary Party
Independent/Other (41.32%)
Independent / NPP
41.32%
Primary Type
Open Primary
At a Glance
Illinois at a Glance
Key voter registration statistics · Updated 2026
Registered Voters
8,399,862
across 102 counties
Registration Rate
83.3%
eligible population
Independent / NPP
41.32%
of registered voters
2024 Turnout
63.3%
of eligible voters
Primary Participation
Primary Ballot Participation by Party
Illinois does not register voters by party. The breakdown below is modeled from recent primary ballot history.
Democratic38.51%
Republican20.17%
Independent/Other41.32%
| Party | Registered Voters | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
Democratic | 3,235,084 | 38.51% |
Republican | 1,693,992 | 20.17% |
Independent/Other | 3,470,786 | 41.32% |
Note: Illinois does not collect party affiliation at voter registration. These figures are modeled from L2 voter-file analysis of which primary ballot each voter pulled in recent cycles — they reflect primary participation, not party registration.
Turnout
Voter Turnout in Illinois
How many eligible Illinois residents actually vote?
Eligible vs Registered
8,399,862 registered10,079,834 eligible
Recent Elections
| Election | Turnout | Voted |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 General | 63.3% | 5,705,246 |
| 2022 General | 45.9% | 4,144,125 |
| 2020 General | 66.5% | 6,050,000 |
| 2024 Presidential Primary | 16.7% | 1,404,551 |
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