Naperville homeowners in DuPage County head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3. The county board chair race tops the ballot, with a 35% salary increase, a $710 million budget and the county's direction all in play.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. DuPage County voters can cast a ballot at any polling place within the county, according to the DuPage County Clerk's election division.

The candidates

Democrat Deb Conroy, 64, of Lombard, is seeking a second four-year term. She won the seat in 2022, becoming the first woman and first Democrat to lead the county board in decades, the Chicago Tribune reported. Before that, she served 10 years in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Republican Gary Grasso, 75, is the mayor of Burr Ridge, a post he has held since 2019. He previously served on the DuPage County Board from 2012 to 2018 and as Burr Ridge mayor from 2005 to 2012, the Tribune reported.

What's at stake

The chair oversees a proposed $710 million county budget, up from $510 million in fiscal 2024, according to the Tribune. That spending growth has become a central campaign issue.

Conroy pointed to the county's Crisis Recovery Center in Wheaton, which opened in 2025 and completed more than 2,000 on-site assessments in its first year. She said she wants to pursue a satellite campus to serve the southern part of the county. Her proposed budget includes funding for first-time homebuyer assistance and rental assistance programs.

Grasso has questioned the budget's size and a proposed $84 million transportation complex on the county fairground property. He suggested the county should consolidate highway maintenance with township commissioners instead.

"The costs have gotten out of whack and need to be reined in," Grasso said, according to the Tribune.

A 13-4 board vote in April that raised the chair's salary from $136,969 to $185,000 has been a focal point of Grasso's campaign. The approved amount exceeded an initial proposal of $154,390. Grasso said he would seek to rescind the increase or donate it if elected.

Conroy said she did not have a vote on the salary and noted a Republican board member suggested the higher amount to reflect the full-time demands of the position.

On property taxes, Grasso said he would advocate for a 0.5% countywide sales tax increase to replace the county's reliance on property taxes, or use surplus funds to abate a portion of the levy. Conroy said the county's share amounts to about 2% of a resident's total property tax bill and that abating taxes would limit county services.

Other DuPage races on the ballot

The sheriff's seat is open.

Democrat Peter Coolidge faces Republican Sean Noonan after Sheriff James Mendrick opted against seeking a third term, Patch reported. County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek faces Paula Deacon Garcia, and Treasurer Gwen Henry faces Yeena Yoo.

How to vote

DuPage County residents can look up their polling place on the DuPage County Clerk's website using their name and the last four digits of a Social Security or driver's license number, or by address, according to Fox 32. Sample ballots are available through the same tool.

Election results are expected after polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the DuPage County Clerk's election page.