The 1968 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the overall 1968 United States presidential election. Illinois voters selected 26 electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which would then choose the president and vice president.

Illinois had been consistently Republican during the "System of 1896," with the exception of a few areas in the southern part of the state that sympathized with the Confederacy during the American Civil War.Kleppner, Paul; The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 183, 201 However, starting from the New Deal era, Illinois became a crucial swing state, having voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1920.

Like other states in the Midwest, Illinois had been severely affected by racial tension during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 398-399 This situation played a role in Charles H. Percy's comfortable Senate win, as he defeated Democrat Paul Douglas. Illinois, particularly the Metro East region, was affected less by racial tension compared to states located to its east.Edison, Jeffrey; 'The Forgotten County: St. Clair County, Illinois, in 1968' (thesis), p. 29. Published 2018 by Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

By the time the election campaign was in full swing at the end of the summer, Democratic nominee and incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey was clearly in serious trouble, and early polling suggested he would have little chance in the state.Edwards, Owen Dudley; 'No Escape Route for Humphrey on All Those Nasty Issues'; The Irish Times, 21 August 1968, p. 5 Humphrey was further hindered by the refusal of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Sr. to help him.Healy, Robert; 'Politics: It's Still too Early To Pick Winner'; The Boston Globe, September 8, 1968, p. 6A

The failure of Nixon's "50 State Strategy" in 1960 led him to focus on a few electoral-vote-rich states, of which Illinois was one of the most critical.Mergel, Sarah Katherine; 'A Report Card for Richard Nixon: Conservative Intellectuals and the President' (thesis), p. 66. Published by The George Washington University, 2007 Humphrey lost further in polling during September,Janson, Donald; 'Humphrey Losing Illinois Support: Wallace, With Rally Slated for Tomorrow, Is Factor'; The New York Times, September 29, 1968, p. 69 and at the end of the first week of October Nixon had a substantial lead.'Electoral Vote: Nixon 359, HHH 46'; The Boston Globe, October 7, 1968, p. 24 Nevertheless, when the vice president campaigned alongside rival former and future Alabama Governor George Wallace,Janson, Donald; 'Humphrey and Wallace to Stage Rival Rallies Friday in Chicago'; The New York Times, October 30, 1968, p. 30 he would gain sharply so that state became extremely close at the beginning of November.

Primaries Turnout Turnout in the preference vote of the primaries was 0.67%, with a total of 34,241 votes cast. Turnout in the general election was 81.39%, with a total of 4,619,749 votes cast. Both major parties held non-binding state-run preferential primaries on June 11. All candidates were write-ins.

Democratic

The 1968 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on June 11, 1968, in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's state primaries ahead of the 1968 presidential election.

The preference vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct vote in each congressional districts on delegate candidates. While he received 33.66% of the vote, Ted Kennedy was not an active candidate for the nomination. The primary occurred the week after his brother Robert F. Kennedy (who had been running for president) was assassinated. Additionally, while he still received some votes, incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson had already ruled himself out for the nomination.

1968 Illinois Democratic presidential primaryCandidateVotes% Eugene McCarthy (write-in) 4,646 38.60Edward Kennedy (write-in) 4,052 33.66 Hubert H. Humphrey (write-in) 2,059 17.10 George Wallace (write-in) 768 6.38 Lyndon B. Johnson (write-in) 162 1.35 Other write-ins 351 2.92 Total 12,038 100

Republican

The 1968 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on June 11, 1968, in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's state primaries ahead of the 1968 presidential election.

In this election, all candidates were write-ins.

The preference vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct vote in each congressional districts on delegate candidates.

1968 Illinois Republican presidential primaryCandidateVotes%Richard M. Nixon (write-in) 17,490 78.77Nelson A. Rockefeller (write-in) 2,165 9.75Ronald Reagan (write-in) 1,601 7.21George Wallace (write-in) 386 1.74Eugene McCarthy (write-in) 162 0.73Charles Percy (write-in) 120 0.54George Romney (write-in) 16 0.07 Other write-ins 263 1.19 Total 22,203 100

Results Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV) Richard Nixon Spiro Agnew Republican 26 2,174,774 47.08% Hubert Humphrey Edmund Muskie Democratic 0 2,039,814 44.15% George Wallace Curtis LeMay Independent 0 390,958 8.46% Henning Blomen George Taylor Socialist Labor 0 13,878 0.30% Write-ins — — 0 325 0.01%

Results by county