EvanstonNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Evanston Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 8 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 3 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
General Election Day; polls open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters citywide elect the mayor for four years, and each of three wards elects one council member for four years.

General Election Day; polls open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Eric Barlow · Republican
    • Kenneth R. Casner · Democratic
    • Rebecca Bextel · Constitution
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • Harriet Hageman · Republican
    • James Byrd · Democratic
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideSecretary of State · State Auditor · State Treasurer · Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • U.S. HouseAt large: one seat for the whole state
  • State SenateOn the ballot in only part of Evanston this year: District 15 (97% of Evanston residents)
  • House of RepresentativesDistrict 49 (83% of Evanston residents) · District 19 (14%) · District 18 (3%)
  • Statewide measures1 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Vaping in public places3 sourced facts

Where it standsOn August 18, 2026 the council passed Ordinance 26-05 on third reading, 7-0, adding electronic smoking devices and vaping to the city's public smoking rules.

What's on the tableHow the city enforces the new rules and whether to regulate vaping businesses further.

02Emergency services sales tax2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2026 the council voted 6-1 to join a joint resolution placing a 1% specific purpose excise tax for $13,000,000 of emergency services equipment on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

What's on the tableWhether the city and county continue a 1% sales tax for emergency equipment; the vote is by county voters.

03New subdivisions2 sourced facts

Where it standsOn September 1, 2026 the council passed on first reading, 4-2, Ordinance 26-06 approving the final plat for Chaparral Estates 9th Addition.

What's on the tableWhether to give final approval to the plat and how the city handles other subdivision requests.

04Downtown blight and empty buildings2 sourced facts

Where it standsAt the July 16 forum, Councilmember David Welling said the city attorney, mayor and police had met with the planning department that week to draft a blight ordinance.

What's on the tableWhat nuisance and blight rules the city adopts and how they are enforced.

1 note on these statements

Mayor Kent Williams is not among the candidates on the 2026 general election list for mayor. Uinta County Clerk

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. The council extended the city's public smoking rules to cover vaping in 2026. What should the city do about vaping in public places?

  2. 2. Should the city set term limits for the mayor?

  3. 3. How should the city deal with run-down and vacant downtown properties?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Evanston is runWho runs Evanston, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Evan Perkes, Henry Schmidt, Mike Sellers4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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