Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents will help choose their next U.S. representative on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls open across Illinois for the 2026 midterm election.

The Illinois 10th Congressional District race pits six-term Democratic incumbent Brad Schneider against Republican challenger Carl Lambrecht. Four write-in candidates also appear on the Lake County ballot: James Jay Mote, Alexandria Keating-Sofiakis, John Minarcik and Thomas Rudd.

The candidates

Schneider, of Highland Park, was first elected to Congress in 2012. He lost the seat in 2014 to Republican Bob Dold, then won it back in 2016 and has held it since, according to CBS Chicago. Before Congress, he worked as a business advisor and managed a life insurance agency, according to his congressional biography. He serves on the House Ways and Means and House Foreign Affairs committees.

Schneider won the March Democratic primary with 78.8% of the vote, defeating challenger Morgan Coghill, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records. He received 56,353 votes to Coghill's 15,152.

Lambrecht, an optical engineer and owner of a Highland Park optical instrument manufacturer, ran unopposed in the March Republican primary, receiving 18,857 votes. He ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in 2024, losing to incumbent Rep. Bob Morgan in the 58th District, CBS Chicago reported. Lambrecht does not have an active campaign website.

When and where to vote

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballots even after closing, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

Voters can find their assigned polling place using the Illinois State Board of Elections' online lookup tool at ova.elections.il.gov. Polling places may differ from early voting sites, so voters should confirm their location before heading out.

What else is on the ballot

The 10th District race shares the ballot with contests for U.S. Senate, governor, attorney general and other statewide offices. Lake County voters also face a referendum asking whether to institute a 1% countywide sales tax for school facilities, resource officers and mental health professionals, NBC Chicago reported.

When to expect results

Results will begin posting after polls close at 7 p.m., according to CBS Chicago. No results, including early voting and mail-in tallies, can be reported until after closing. Official returns will be posted on the Illinois State Board of Elections website at elections.il.gov.