Since the 1970 Illinois constitution, the State Board of Elections has administered the election laws of the State of Illinois. It oversees the local election commissions, accepts nominating petitions and certificates of nomination, certifies the names of valid candidates for election, accepts and cross-checks the vote totals reported after Election Day, and accepts financial disclosures from the candidates' campaign committees.

Locally, the elected McLean County Clerk administers elections. In November 1914, Bloomington created its own Board of Election Commissioners to administer all elections held in the City of Bloomington, leaving the balance of the county to be administered by the County Clerk. Only a few communities have city election commissions in Illinois; most are handled by the County Clerk. The Illinois General Assembly legislated the Australian ballot in June 1891. That required the election authorities to print ballots instead of having the political parties do so.

This collection includes materials issued by election authorities (Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois State Board of Elections, County Clerk, Bloomington Election Commission, etc.) such as ballots and official specimen ballots, election calendars, poll books, instructions to election judges, etc.