1964 Illinois elections

1964 Illinois elections

←  1962 November 3, 1964 1966  →
Turnout	86.67%

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. ^[1]

Primaries were held on April 14, 1964. ^[1]

Election information

Turnout

In the primary, turnout was 41.74% with 2,154,941 ballots cast (1,062,320 Democrat and 1,092,621 Republican). ^{[1] [2]}

In the general election, turnout was 86.67% with 4,796,641 ballots cast. ^{[1] [2]}

Federal elections

United States President

Main article: 1964 United States presidential election in Illinois

See also: 1964 United States presidential election

Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey. ^[1]

United States House

Main article: 1964 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois

See also: 1964 United States House of Representatives elections

All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1964.

Democrats flipped one seat, leaving the Illinois House delegation to consist of 13 Democrats and 11 Republicans.

State elections

Governor

Main article: 1964 Illinois gubernatorial election

1964 Illinois gubernatorial election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →
Turnout	84.15% [1] [2]
Nominee Otto Kerner Jr. Charles H. Percy Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,418,394 2,239,095 Percentage 51.93% 48.08%
County Results Kerner:      50–60%     60–70% Percy:      50-60%     60-70%
Governor before election Otto Kerner Jr. Democratic Elected Governor Otto Kerner Jr. Democratic

Incumbent Governor Otto Kerner, Jr., a Democrat, won reelection.

Gubernatorial election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Otto Kerner Jr. (incumbent)	2,418,394	51.93
	Republican	Charles H. Percy	2,239,095	48.08
	Write-in	Others	11	0.00
Total votes			4,657,500	100

Lieutenant governor

1964 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →
Turnout	82.13% [1] [2]
Nominee Samuel H. Shapiro John Altorfer Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,462,823 2,082,624 Percentage 54.18% 45.82%
Lieutenant Governor before election Samuel H. Shapiro Democratic Elected Lieutenant Governor Samuel H. Shapiro Democratic

Incumbent lieutenant governor Samuel H. Shapiro, a Democrat, won reelection to a second term.

Democratic primary

Lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Samuel H. Shapiro (incumbent)	850,941	100
	Write-in	Others	7	0.00
Total votes			850,948	100

Republican primary

Lieutenant gubernatorial Republican primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Henry Altorfer	308,498	33.28
	Republican	Warren L. Wood	200,502	21.63
	Republican	John A. Graham	126,543	13.65
	Republican	Edward J. Pree	118,305	12.76
	Republican	Howard J. Doyle	79,928	8.62
	Republican	Alan A. Walters	49,048	5.29
	Republican	Marvin R. Dee	44,197	4.77
	Write-in	Others	36	0.00
Total votes			927,057	100

General election

Lieutenant gubernatorial election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Samuel H. Shapiro (incumbent)	2,462,823	54.18
	Republican	John Henry Altorfer	2,082,624	45.82
	Write-in	Others	3	0.00
Total votes			4,545,450	100

Attorney general

1964 Illinois Attorney General election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →
Turnout	82.06% [1] [2]
Nominee William G. Clark Elroy C. Sandquist Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,530,971 2,010,553 Percentage 55.73% 44.47%
Attorney General before election William G. Clark Democratic Elected Attorney General William G. Clark Democratic

Incumbent attorney general William G. Clark, a Democrat, was reelected to a second term.

Democratic primary

Attorney General Democratic primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William G. Clark (incumbent)	849,600	100
	Write-in	Others	8	0.00
Total votes			849,608	100

Republican primary

Attorney General Republican primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Elroy C. Sandquist	271,991	29.99
	Republican	Jack I. Sperling	253,362	27.94
	Republican	Robert R. Canfield	213,683	23.56
	Republican	William D. Stiehl	127,732	14.08
	Republican	William F. Lavelle	40,152	4.43
	Write-in	Others	8	0.00
Total votes			906,928	100

General election

Attorney General election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William G. Clark (incumbent)	2,530,971	55.73
	Republican	Elroy C. Sandquist	2,010,553	44.47
	Write-in	Others	1	0.00
Total votes			4,541,525	100

Secretary of State

1964 Illinois Secretary of State election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →
Turnout	82.14% [1] [2]
Nominee Paul Powell Elmer J. Hoffman Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,517,226 2,028,670 Percentage 55.37% 44.63%
County results Powell:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Hoffman:     50–60%     60–70%
Secretary of State before election William H. Chamberlain Democratic Elected Secretary of State Paul Powell Democratic

The incumbent Secretary of State was William H. Chamberlain, a Democrat appointed in 1964. He did not seek reelection. Democrat Paul Powell was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Secretary of State Democratic primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul T. Powell	860,902	100
	Write-in	Others	28	0.00
Total votes			860,930	100

Republican primary

Secretary of State Republican primary ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Elmer J. Hoffman	414,214	44.01
	Republican	John P. Meyer	230,159	24.45
	Republican	Terrel E. Clarke	146,014	15.51
	Republican	Walter J. Haas	56,640	6.02
	Republican	Harley D. Jones	55,724	5.92
	Republican	Walter E. Pacanowski	38,487	4.09
	Write-in	Others	36	0.00
Total votes			941,274	100

General election

Secretary of State election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul T. Powell	2,517,226	55.37
	Republican	Elmer J. Hoffman	2,028,670	44.63
	Write-in	Others	16	0.00
Total votes			4,545,912	100

Auditor of Public Accounts

1964 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →
Turnout	81.88% [1]
Nominee Michael Howlett John Kirby Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,513,831 2,017,951 Percentage 55.47% 44.53
Auditor of Public Accounts before election Michael Howlett Democratic Elected Auditor of Public Accounts Michael Howlett Democratic

Incumbent Auditor of Public Accounts Michael Howlett, a Democrat, was reelected to a second term, defeating Republican challenger John Kirby.

Democratic primary

Howlett won the Democratic primary unopposed.

Auditor of Public Accounts Democratic primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael J. Howlett (incumbent)	843,204	100
	Write-in	Others	5	0.00
Total votes			843,209	100

Republican primary

John Kirby won the Republican primary.

Candidates

• John William Chapman, former Lieutenant Governor
• Maurice W. Coburn, 1962 Illinois Treasurer candidate, former administrative assistant to the Governor of Illinois (1956–1960), chairman of the Illinois Veterans League, 44th Ward Precinct Captain, former President of the Young Conservative Club, lawyer ^[4]
• Louis "Lou" Haenle
• James P. Hennessy
• Gordon E. Kerr, Illinois State Senator
• John Kirby
• Walter E. McCarron, Cook County Coroner ^[5]
• Sherwin Willens, businessman

Results

Auditor of Public Accounts Republican primary ^{[1] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Kirby	245,015	27.33
	Republican	John William Chapman	190,271	21.22
	Republican	Gordon E. Kerr	129,363	14.43
	Republican	Walter E. McCarron	94,548	10.55
	Republican	Maurice W Coburn	80,877	9.02
	Republican	James P. Hennessy	74,322	8.29
	Republican	Sherwin Willens	64,528	7.20
	Republican	Louis "Lou" Haenle	17,568	1.96
	Write-in	Others	30	0.00
Total votes			896,522	100

General election

Auditor of Public Accounts election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael J. Howlett (incumbent)	2,513,831	55.47
	Republican	John Kirby	2,017,951	44.53
	Write-in	Others	1	0.00
Total votes			4,531,783	100

State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1964. Republicans retained control of the chamber.

State House of Representatives

Main article: 1964 Illinois House of Representatives election

All 177 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1964. Due to the state's failure to redistrict, the election was held at-large, with all candidates listed on one ballot that contained 236 names and spread 33 inches long. ^[6] Both the Democrats and the Republicans nominated 118 candidates. ^[7] Voters could vote for up to 177 candidates, and a straight-ticket option was also available. ^[6]

Every Democratic candidate won, flipping the chamber and giving Democrats a super-majority in the state House. Democrats won a total of 118 seats to Republican's 59 seats. ^[7]

Trustees of University of Illinois

1964 Trustees of University of Illinois election

←  1962 November 3, 1964 1966  →

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.

The election saw the reelection of first term Democratic incumbent Howard Clement, second-term Democratic incumbent Harold Pogue, as well as fellow Democratic incumbent Theodore A. Jones (who had been appointed to fill a vacancy in 1963). ^{[1] [8]}

Trustees of the University of Illinois election ^{[1] [8]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Howard W. Clement (incumbent)	2,514,840	18.60
	Democratic	Theodore A. Jones (incumbent)	2,484,508	18.38
	Democratic	Harold A. Pogue (incumbent)	2,440,845	18.05
	Republican	Park Livingston	2,075,034	15.35
	Republican	C. Ernest Lovejoy	2,013,525	14.89
	Republican	James A. Weatherly	1,992,575	14.76
	Write-in	Others	2	0.00
Total votes			13,521,329	100

Ballot measures

Two ballot measures were put before voters in 1966, both of them legislatively referred constitutional amendments.

In order to be placed on the ballot, proposed legislatively referred constitutional amendments needed to be approved by two-thirds of each house of the Illinois General Assembly. ^[9] In order to be approved, they required approval of either two-thirds of those voting on the amendment itself or a majority of all ballots cast in the general elections. ^[1]

Annual Legislative Sessions Amendment

The Annual Legislative Sessions Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, was put to a vote. It would have amended Section 9 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution. It failed to meet either threshold for passage. ^[1]

Annual Legislative Sessions Amendment [1] [2]
Option	Votes	% of votes on referendum	% of all ballots cast
Yes	2,290,263	63.10	47.75
No	1,339,540	36.90	27.93
Total votes	3,629,803	100	75.67
Voter turnout	65.58%

Continuity of Governmental Operations in Periods of Emergency Amendment

The Continuity of Governmental Operations in Periods of Emergency Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, was put to a vote. It would have amended Section 35 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution. It failed to meet either threshold for passage. ^[1]

Continuity of Governmental Operations in Periods of Emergency Amendment [1] [2]
Option	Votes	% of votes on referendum	% of all ballots cast
Yes	1,808,491	50.62	37.70
No	1,275,871	35.71	26.60
Total votes	3,572,966	100	74.49
Voter turnout	64.56%

Local elections

Local elections were held.

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 3, 1964 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1963–1964 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL, 14, 1964" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 1, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
2. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
3. Illinois Blue Book 1963-1964. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 901–902. Retrieved March 28, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. "Maurice W. Coburn". Belvidere Daily Republican. April 13, 1964.
5. "WALTER MCCARRON, 85, FORMER COUNTY CORONER". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. September 27, 1985. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
6. Wehrwein, Austin (October 29, 1964). "BALLOT IN ILLINOIS BIG AS BATH TOWEL". New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
7. Hardy, Rick Pearson and Thomas (December 17, 1991). "RULING REKINDLES VISIONS OF '64 'BEDSHEET' BALLOT". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
8. "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
9. Illinois Constitution of 1870 ARTICLE XIV Section 2