| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois elections |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1954 Illinois elections |
| Previous Year: | 1954 |
| Next Election: | 1958 Illinois elections |
| Next Year: | 1958 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Turnout: | 85.95% |
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 6, 1956.[1]
Primaries were held on April 10, 1956.[1] [2]
The results strongly favored the Republican Party,[3] which retained control both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly as well as all statewide elected executive offices. They also won the state in the presidential election, retained the U.S. Senate seat up for election, and flipped a single U.S. House seat.
In the primary election turnout was 36.96%, with a total of 1,839,577 ballots cast (961,999 Democratic and 877,578 Republican).[1] [2] [4]
In the general election turnout was 85.95%, with a total of 4,484,956 ballots cast.[1] [5]
See main article: 1956 United States presidential election in Illinois.
See also: 1956 United States presidential election. Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. For the second consecutive election, Illinois' vote for the Republican Eisenhower-Nixon ticket came despite the fact that former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II was the Democratic presidential nominee.
See main article: 1956 United States Senate election in Illinois.
See also: 1956 United States Senate elections.
Republican Senator Everett Dirksen was reelected to a second term.
See also: 1956 United States House of Representatives elections.
All 25 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1956.
The Republicans flipped one Democratic-held seat, leaving the composition of Illinois' House delegation to consist of 14 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
See main article: 1956 Illinois gubernatorial election.
| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1952 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1952 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Nominee1: | William Stratton |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,171,786 |
| Percentage1: | 50.34% |
| Nominee2: | Richard B. Austin |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,134,909 |
| Percentage2: | 49.48% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | William Stratton |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | William Stratton |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 82.69% |
Incumbent Governor William Stratton, a Republican, narrowly won reelection to a second term.
Herbert C. Paschen was replaced by Richard B. Austin as Democratic nominee.
| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1952 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1952 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Image1: | John William Chapman circa 1927 (1).jpg |
| Nominee1: | John William Chapman |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,240,542 |
| Percentage1: | 53.18% |
| Nominee2: | Roscoe Bonjean |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,964,722 |
| Percentage2: | 46.64% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Before Election: | John William Chapman |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John William Chapman |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 80.74% |
Incumbent lieutenant governor John William Chapman, a Republican, won reelection to a second term.
| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1952 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Previous Year: | 1952 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Image1: | Latham Castle.png |
| Nominee1: | Latham Castle |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,310,346 |
| Percentage1: | 54.72% |
| Nominee2: | James L. O'Keefe |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,904,439 |
| Percentage2: | 45.11% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Attorney General | |
| Before Election: | William L. Guild |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | William G. Clark |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 80.92% |
Incumbent attorney general Latham Castle, a Republican, was elected to a second term.
| Election Name: | 1960 Illinois Secretary of State election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1952 Illinois elections#Secretary of State |
| Previous Year: | 1952 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Illinois elections#Secretary of State |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Nominee1: | Charles F. Carpentier |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,432,954 |
| Percentage1: | 56.94% |
| Nominee2: | David F. Mallet |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,832,677 |
| Percentage2: | 42.89% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Secretary of State | |
| Before Election: | Charles F. Carpentier |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Charles F. Carpentier |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 81.89% |
Incumbent Secretary of State Charles F. Carpentier, a Republican, was reelected to a second term.
| Election Name: | 1960 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1952 Illinois elections#Auditor of Public Accounts |
| Previous Year: | 1952 |
| Next Election: | 1960 Illinois elections#Auditor of Public Accounts |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Image1: | 3x4.svg |
| Nominee1: | Elbert S. Smith |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,217,229 |
| Percentage1: | 52.55% |
| Nominee2: | Michael Howlett |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,992,707 |
| Percentage2: | 47.23 |
| Auditor of Public Accounts | |
| Before Election: | Lloyd Morey |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Elbert S. Smith |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 80.87% |
Auditor of Public Accounts Orville Hodge, who had been elected in 1952, was seeking re-election and had won the Republican primary before being charged with 54 counts of bank fraud, embezzlement and forgery relating to a $6.15 million fraud he committed against the state; Hodge was removed from office, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.
Lloyd Morey was appointed in 1957 to replace Hodge, but decided not to seek reelection. Republican Elbert S. Smith was elected to succeed Morey.
| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois State Treasurer election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1954 Illinois elections#Treasurer |
| Previous Year: | 1954 |
| Next Election: | 1958 Illinois elections#Treasurer |
| Next Year: | 1958 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Image1: | Elmer J Hoffman (1).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Elmer J. Hoffman |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,226,340 |
| Percentage1: | 52.81% |
| Nominee2: | Arthur L. Hellyer |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,981,234 |
| Percentage2: | 47.00% |
| Treasurer | |
| Before Election: | Warren Wright |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Elmer J. Hoffman |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 80.80% |
Incumbent Treasurer Warren Wright, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a second-consecutive (third overall) term, instead opting to run (ultimately unsuccessfully) for the Republican nomination for governor. Republican Elmer J. Hoffman was elected to succeed him in office, earning Hoffman a second non-consecutive term as Treasurer.
This was the first Illinois Treasurer election to a four-year term, as voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1954 which extended term length from two to four-years beginning in 1956.
| Election Name: | 1956 Illinois Clerk of the Supreme Court election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1950 Illinois elections#Clerk of the Supreme Court |
| Previous Year: | 1950 |
| Next Election: | 1962 Illinois elections#Clerk of the Supreme Court |
| Next Year: | 1962 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
| Nominee1: | Fae Searcy |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,285,311 |
| Percentage1: | 54.39% |
| Nominee2: | James P. Alexander |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,909,378 |
| Percentage2: | 45.44% |
| Clerk | |
| Before Election: | Fae Searcy |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Fae Searcy |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 80.53% |
Incumbent Clerk of the Supreme Court Fae Searcy, a Republican appointed after the death in office of her husband Earle Benjamin Searcy, won reelection to a first full term.
Instead of being listed by her own name, Searcy opted to be listed on the ballot in both the primary and general election as "Ms. Earle Benjamin Searcy".[1] [2]
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1960. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1956. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
| Election Name: | 1956 Trustees of University of Illinois election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1954 Illinois elections#Trustees of University of Illinois |
| Previous Year: | 1954 |
| Next Election: | 1958 Illinois elections#Trustees of University of Illinois |
| Next Year: | 1958 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
An election using cumulative voting was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois. All three Republican nominees won. The election was for 6-year terms.
Incumbent Republican Wayne A. Johnston won a second term. Incumbent Republican Timothy W. Swain, appointed in 1955 after the resignation of Red Grange, won election to his first full term. Also, joining them in winning election, was Republican Earl M. Hughes. Incumbent first-term Republican Herbert B. Megran had not been nominated for reelection.
On April 10, special elections were held for vacancies on the Third and Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Districts. On November 2, special elections were held for three vacancies on the Superior Court of Cook County.[1]
Two ballot measures, were put before Illinois voters in 1956.
Voters approved the General Banking Law Amendment a legislatively referred state statute which modified the state's banking law.[6]
The Revenue Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which would have amended Article IX Sections 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10 and repeal Article IX Section 13 of the 1870 Constitution of Illinois to give more leeway to the legislature in creating tax policy, while specifically forbidding the authorization of a graduated income tax, failed to meet either threshold for adoption.[7] In order for constitutional amendments to pass, they required either two-thirds support among those specifically voting on the measure or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.[8] [9]
| Revenue Amendment | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option | Votes | % of voteson measure | % of all ballots cast | ||||
| text align=center | Yes | text align=center | 2,139,150 | text align=center | 60.30 | text align=center | 47.70 |
| text align=center | No | text align=center | 1,408,132 | text align=center | 39.70 | text align=center | 31.40 |
| text align=center | Total votes | text align=center | 3,547,282 | text align=center | 100 | text align=center | 79.09 |
| Voter turnout | colspan=3 text align=right | 67.98% |
Local elections were held.