2018 Election important dates

Date	Time	Description
January 30	4:00 PM	Candidate filing deadline
March 15	N/A	Last day for Republican and Democratic county executive committees to submit names for appointment of precinct officers to county board of elections
March 20	N/A	Last day for county boards of elections to appoint precinct officers
April 02	4:00 PM	Last day for independent, political organization and political group candidates, except candidates for federal office and candidates for mayor or legislative body in cities of the home rule class participating in partisan elections, to file a statement-of-candidacy form with the same office at which nomination papers are filed (not later than April 1 preceding the day fixed by law for holding of general elections for the offices sought. If filing office is closed on April 1, form may be filed on next business day).
April 20	N/A	Last day for candidates to submit lists of proposed challengers to the chair or secretary of county political party committee
April 23	N/A	Last day to register to vote for the primary
May 22	6:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Primary election day
August 24	4:00 PM	Candidate filing deadline: last day to file any petition, certificate or statement that must be filed by second Tuesday in August.
October 09	N/A	Last day to register to vote for the general election
October 26	4:00 PM	Last day to file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate
October 30	N/A	Last day to apply for mail-in absentee ballot. Applications, including the declaration accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot, must be received by this day.
October 30	N/A	Last day for any voter who has received an absentee ballot by mail but who knows at least 7 days before election day that he or she will be in the county on election day and who has not voted the absentee ballot to cancel his or her absentee ballot and return it to the county clerk’s office. Such a voter shall vote in person.
November 06	6:00 AM - 6:00 PM	General election day