 | ||||
| ||||
| Turnout | 71.60% | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Elections were held inIllinois on November 4, 2008.
Primaries were held February 5, 2008.
For the primary election, turnout was 40.89%, with 2,986,982 votes cast.[1]
Turnout by county[1]
| County | Registration | Votes cast | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 42,024 | 14,154 | 33.68% |
| Alexander | 7,743 | 2,526 | 32.62% |
| Bond | 11,258 | 3,499 | 31.08% |
| Boone | 33,607 | 11,545 | 34.35% |
| Brown | 3,262 | 1,450 | 44.45% |
| Bureau | 24,159 | 7,301 | 30.22% |
| Calhoun | 4,108 | 1,592 | 38.75% |
| Carroll | 12,143 | 3,469 | 28.57% |
| Cass | 9,490 | 2,188 | 23.06% |
| Champaign | 109,946 | 39,156 | 35.61% |
| Christian | 21,272 | 7,848 | 36.89% |
| Clark | 12,624 | 4,199 | 33.26% |
| Clay | 9,390 | 3,582 | 38.15% |
| Clinton | 26,213 | 6,851 | 26.14% |
| Coles | 28,826 | 10,180 | 35.32% |
| Cook[note 1] | 2,658,099 | 1,274,569 | 47.95% |
| Crawford | 13,807 | 4,457 | 32.28% |
| Cumberland | 8,821 | 2,616 | 29.66% |
| DeKalb | 52,754 | 23,612 | 44.76% |
| DeWitt | 10,863 | 4,885 | 44.97% |
| Douglas | 11,742 | 4,222 | 35.96% |
| DuPage | 549,621 | 244,032 | 44.4% |
| Edgar | 12,704 | 4,773 | 37.57% |
| Edwards | 4,369 | 1,641 | 37.56% |
| Effingham | 23,050 | 7,936 | 34.43% |
| Fayette | 15,280 | 4,770 | 31.22% |
| Ford | 8,619 | 3,237 | 37.56% |
| Franklin | 27,167 | 11,720 | 43.14% |
| Fulton | 26,485 | 9,033 | 34.11% |
| Gallatin | 4,264 | 2,203 | 51.67% |
| Greene | 9,644 | 2,811 | 29.15% |
| Grundy | 30,311 | 10,635 | 35.09% |
| Hamilton | 6,563 | 3,266 | 49.76% |
| Hancock | 13,475 | 5,362 | 39.79% |
| Hardin | 3,811 | 1,750 | 45.92% |
| Henderson | 5,414 | 1,919 | 35.45% |
| Henry | 36,015 | 10,762 | 29.88% |
| Iroquois | 20,187 | 6,171 | 30.57% |
| Jackson | 41,323 | 12,131 | 29.36% |
| Jasper | 14,959 | 2,777 | 18.56% |
| Jefferson | 24,758 | 10,744 | 43.4% |
| Jersey | 16,402 | 4,803 | 29.28% |
| Jo Daviess | 16,819 | 5,508 | 32.75% |
| Johnson | 7,596 | 3,922 | 51.63% |
| Kane | 258,902 | 101,332 | 39.14% |
| Kankakee | 64,925 | 18,849 | 29.03% |
| Kendall | 58,570 | 22,923 | 39.14% |
| Knox | 33,486 | 12,240 | 36.55% |
| Lake | 377,738 | 147,424 | 39.03% |
| LaSalle | 70,265 | 24,372 | 34.69% |
| Lawrence | 10,145 | 3,110 | 30.66% |
| Lee | 47,146 | 8,262 | 17.52% |
| Livingston | 23,146 | 8,133 | 35.14% |
| Logan | 19,496 | 7,357 | 37.74% |
| Macon | 69,372 | 26,993 | 38.91% |
| Macoupin | 32,641 | 10,440 | 31.98% |
| Madison | 163,584 | 60,403 | 36.92% |
| Marion | 24,959 | 9,233 | 36.99% |
| Marshall | 8,447 | 3,486 | 41.27% |
| Mason | 10,447 | 3,786 | 36.24% |
| Massac | 11,434 | 4,348 | 38.03% |
| McDonough | 17,882 | 6,528 | 36.51% |
| McHenry | 188,449 | 65,232 | 34.62% |
| McLean | 89,510 | 38,116 | 42.58% |
| Menard | 9,303 | 3,222 | 34.63% |
| Mercer | 14,018 | 4,216 | 30.08% |
| Monroe | 22,972 | 8,065 | 35.11% |
| Montgomery | 18,629 | 6,170 | 33.12% |
| Morgan | 23,947 | 6,590 | 27.52% |
| Moultrie | 8,453 | 3,011 | 35.62% |
| Ogle | 38,584 | 13,322 | 34.53% |
| Peoria | 113,614 | 42,887 | 37.75% |
| Perry | 14,590 | 4,807 | 32.95% |
| Piatt | 11,369 | 4,113 | 36.18% |
| Pike | 12,585 | 3,617 | 28.74% |
| Pope | 3,490 | 1,304 | 37.36% |
| Pulaski | 6,615 | 2,007 | 30.34% |
| Putnam | 4,566 | 1,714 | 37.54% |
| Randolph | 24,153 | 7,149 | 29.6% |
| Richland | 13,463 | 3,742 | 27.79% |
| Rock Island | 117,900 | 35,990 | 30.53% |
| Saline | 16,402 | 7,525 | 45.88% |
| Sangamon | 134,911 | 40,607 | 30.1% |
| Schuyler | 5,301 | 2,013 | 37.97% |
| Scott | 3,994 | 1,378 | 34.5% |
| Shelby | 14,377 | 5,315 | 36.97% |
| Stark | 5,179 | 1,470 | 28.38% |
| St. Clair | 186,756 | 58,617 | 31.39% |
| Stephenson | 33,178 | 10,111 | 30.48% |
| Tazewell | 96,705 | 32,412 | 33.52% |
| Union | 15,118 | 6,403 | 42.35% |
| Vermilion | 46,793 | 14,177 | 30.3% |
| Wabash | 9,221 | 2,561 | 27.77% |
| Warren | 12,488 | 4,213 | 33.74% |
| Washington | 11,683 | 3,989 | 34.14% |
| Wayne | 12,368 | 4,917 | 39.76% |
| White | 11,312 | 3,911 | 34.57% |
| Whiteside | 48,987 | 12,777 | 26.08% |
| Will | 330,732 | 144,040 | 43.55% |
| Williamson | 40,948 | 18,198 | 44.44% |
| Winnebago | 174,484 | 61,303 | 35.13% |
| Woodford | 23,844 | 10,745 | 45.06% |
| Total | 7,304,563 | 2,986,982 | 40.89% |
For the general election, turnout was 71.60%, with 5,577,509 votes cast.[2]
Turnout by county[2]
| County | Registration | Votes cast | Turnout% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 44,329 | 31,107 | 70.17% |
| Alexander | 7,926 | 4,030 | 50.85% |
| Bond | 11,756 | 8,034 | 68.34% |
| Boone | 32,771 | 22,317 | 68.1% |
| Brown | 3,383 | 2,625 | 77.59% |
| Bureau | 26,861 | 17,291 | 64.37% |
| Calhoun | 3,952 | 2,773 | 70.17% |
| Carroll | 12,012 | 7,734 | 64.39% |
| Cass | 9,650 | 5,479 | 56.78% |
| Champaign | 123,150 | 84,804 | 68.86% |
| Christian | 22,088 | 15,253 | 69.06% |
| Clark | 12,882 | 8,382 | 65.07% |
| Clay | 9,665 | 6,577 | 68.05% |
| Clinton | 27,262 | 17,492 | 64.16% |
| Coles | 32,867 | 23,287 | 70.85% |
| Cook[note 2] | 2,933,502 | 2,162,240 | 73.71% |
| Crawford | 14,197 | 9,246 | 65.13% |
| Cumberland | 9,065 | 5,390 | 59.46% |
| DeKalb | 60,718 | 45,178 | 74.41% |
| DeWitt | 11,468 | 7,886 | 68.77% |
| Douglas | 12,193 | 8,443 | 69.24% |
| DuPage | 551,280 | 420,397 | 76.26% |
| Edgar | 13,004 | 8,345 | 64.17% |
| Edwards | 4,576 | 3,418 | 74.69% |
| Effingham | 22,353 | 16,999 | 76.05% |
| Fayette | 15,589 | 9,815 | 62.96% |
| Ford | 9,059 | 6,435 | 71.03% |
| Franklin | 28,247 | 18,970 | 67.16% |
| Fulton | 26,982 | 16,489 | 61.11% |
| Gallatin | 4,316 | 2,948 | 68.3% |
| Greene | 9,446 | 5,881 | 62.26% |
| Grundy | 30,234 | 22,356 | 73.94% |
| Hamilton | 6,432 | 4,452 | 69.22% |
| Hancock | 13,674 | 9,570 | 69.99% |
| Hardin | 3,910 | 2,332 | 59.64% |
| Henderson | 5,527 | 3,875 | 70.11% |
| Henry | 37,351 | 24,995 | 66.92% |
| Iroquois | 20,695 | 13,697 | 66.19% |
| Jackson | 45,225 | 25,795 | 57.04% |
| Jasper | 7,511 | 5,229 | 69.62% |
| Jefferson | 25,816 | 17,454 | 67.61% |
| Jersey | 17,113 | 10,723 | 62.66% |
| Jo Daviess | 16,529 | 11,878 | 71.86% |
| Johnson | 7,984 | 6,012 | 75.3% |
| Kane | 263,876 | 194,981 | 73.89% |
| Kankakee | 65,279 | 48,333 | 74.04% |
| Kendall | 67,307 | 46,875 | 69.64% |
| Knox | 34,898 | 24,284 | 69.59% |
| Lake | 405,041 | 301,077 | 74.33% |
| LaSalle | 73,689 | 50,775 | 68.9% |
| Lawrence | 10,497 | 6,661 | 63.46% |
| Lee | 26,428 | 16,499 | 62.43% |
| Livingston | 23,826 | 15,752 | 66.11% |
| Logan | 19,859 | 13,029 | 65.61% |
| Macon | 73,597 | 51,644 | 70.17% |
| Macoupin | 32,910 | 22,606 | 68.69% |
| Madison | 178,014 | 129,880 | 72.96% |
| Marion | 26,084 | 17,562 | 67.33% |
| Marshall | 8,777 | 6,402 | 72.94% |
| Mason | 10,527 | 6,889 | 65.44% |
| Massac | 11,759 | 7,320 | 62.25% |
| McDonough | 19,569 | 13,158 | 67.24% |
| McHenry | 199,378 | 140,002 | 70.22% |
| McLean | 100,157 | 76,231 | 76.11% |
| Menard | 9,594 | 6,531 | 68.07% |
| Mercer | 14,087 | 8,943 | 63.48% |
| Monroe | 24,280 | 18,241 | 75.13% |
| Montgomery | 19,055 | 13,039 | 68.43% |
| Morgan | 25,007 | 15,466 | 61.85% |
| Moultrie | 8,782 | 6,312 | 71.87% |
| Ogle | 40,453 | 25,062 | 61.95% |
| Peoria | 124,116 | 83,008 | 66.88% |
| Perry | 15,054 | 10,148 | 67.41% |
| Piatt | 11,921 | 9,065 | 76.04% |
| Pike | 12,991 | 7,712 | 59.36% |
| Pope | 3,399 | 2,272 | 66.84% |
| Pulaski | 6,679 | 3,333 | 49.9% |
| Putnam | 4,663 | 3,369 | 72.25% |
| Randolph | 24,624 | 15,401 | 62.54% |
| Richland | 13,684 | 7,751 | 56.64% |
| Rock Island | 114,645 | 68,933 | 60.13% |
| Saline | 17,179 | 11,691 | 68.05% |
| Sangamon | 138,299 | 100,679 | 72.8% |
| Schuyler | 5,473 | 3,876 | 70.82% |
| Scott | 3,976 | 2,643 | 66.47% |
| Shelby | 15,158 | 11,004 | 72.6% |
| Stark | 5,212 | 2,945 | 56.5% |
| St. Clair | 201,095 | 126,682 | 63% |
| Stephenson | 34,535 | 21,798 | 63.12% |
| Tazewell | 99,868 | 64,319 | 64.4% |
| Union | 15,337 | 9,306 | 60.68% |
| Vermilion | 49,863 | 33,249 | 66.68% |
| Wabash | 9,391 | 5,860 | 62.4% |
| Warren | 12,970 | 8,117 | 62.58% |
| Washington | 12,396 | 8,040 | 64.86% |
| Wayne | 12,640 | 8,172 | 64.65% |
| White | 11,566 | 7,571 | 65.46% |
| Whiteside | 43,590 | 27,142 | 62.27% |
| Will | 373,847 | 288,709 | 77.23% |
| Williamson | 43,676 | 30,519 | 69.88% |
| Winnebago | 188,795 | 127,369 | 67.46% |
| Woodford | 25,578 | 19,639 | 76.78% |
| Total | 7,789,500 | 5,577,509 | 71.6% |
Illinois voted for theDemocraticticket ofBarack Obama andJoe Biden.
This was the fifth consecutive presidential election in which Illinois had voted for the Democratic ticket.
Incumbent DemocratDick Durbin was reelected to a third term.
All 19 of Illinois’ seats in theUnited States House of Representatives were up for election in 2008.
The Democratic Party flipped one Republican-held seat, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation 11 Democrats and 8 Republicans.
One-third of the seats of theIllinois Senate were up for election in 2008.
All of the seats in theIllinois House of Representatives were up for election in 2008.
Judicial elections were held.
Illinois voters voted on a single ballot measure in 1998.[3] In order to be approved, the measure required either 60% support among those specifically voting on the amendment or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.[3]
This was the first time since the1998 Illinois elections that a statewide ballot measure was presented to Illinois voters.[3]
A measure which would call for a stateconstitutional convention failed.[3] Article XIV of theConstitution of Illinois requires that Illinois voters be asked at least every 20 years if they desire a constitutional convention, thus this election was constitutionally required to be held.[4]
| Proposed call for a Constitutional Convention[2][3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Option | Votes | % of votes on referendum | % of all ballots cast |
| For | 1,493,203 | 32.78 | 26.96 |
| Against | 3,062,724 | 67.23 | 55.29 |
| Total votes | 4,555,927 | 100 | 82.25 |
| Voter turnout | 58.49% | ||
Local elections were held. These included county elections, such as theCook County elections.
