Evanston Voter GuideSpecial election · 2026–27
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Explainer · Published Fri Oct 16, 2026

Small donations, matched

Short answer

Evanston matches small donations to mayoral candidates who opt in, up to $45,000 per candidate per election cycle. The City Clerk’s Office runs the program. [1]

How it works

  • It applies only to mayoral races. [2]
  • To qualify, candidates gather 100 small donations and pledge to stay under a contribution limit. [2]
  • Taking part comes with debate requirements. [3]
  • The City Clerk’s Office oversees the program. [1]

Background

The City Council approved the program in 2023, [4] making Evanston the first Illinois city with a public match of this kind. [5]

We will list which 2027 candidates take part once the City Clerk reports it.

Related

Sources

  1. City of Evanston, City Clerk — Small Donor Matching System — https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/city_clerks_office/2025_consolidated_elections/small_donor_matching_system.php · accessed 2026-10-16
  2. Daily Northwestern — Small donor match fund aims to level election playing field (Oct. 3, 2023) — https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/10/03/city/small-donor-match-fund-aims-to-level-election-playing-field/ · accessed 2026-10-16
  3. City of Evanston, City Clerk — 2027 Special Mayoral Election — https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/city_clerks_office/2025_consolidated_elections/index.php · accessed 2026-10-06
  4. Evanston RoundTable — Evanston OKs small-donor match program for mayoral elections (Sept. 27, 2023) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2023/09/27/evanston-oks-small-donor-match-program-for-next-mayoral-election/ · accessed 2026-10-16
  5. Sludge — Evanston becomes first Illinois city to counteract big money with public match (Oct. 27, 2023) — https://readsludge.com/2023/10/27/evanston-becomes-first-illinois-city-to-counteract-big-money-with-public-match/ · accessed 2026-10-16