Incumbent third-term Secretary of StateEdward J. Hughes, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Hughes then died before the general election, and in June of 1944, Richard Yates Rowe, a Republican, was appointed to fill the rest of his term. In the election, Democrat Edward J. Barrett was elected to permanently succeed them in office.
Incumbent first-term TreasurerWilliam G. Stratton, a Republican, did not seek reelection, instead opting to run for Secretary of State. Republican Conrad F. Becker was elected to succeed him in office.
Incumbent Clerk of the Supreme Court , a Democrat appointed to the office in 1940 after the death in office of , did not seek reelection.[1][2] Republican Earle Benjamin Searcy was elected to succeed him in office.
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1944. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
State House of Representatives[]
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1944. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
Trustees of University of Illinois[]
1944 Trustees of University of Illinois election
← 1942
November 7, 1944
1946 →
An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.[1] All three Democratic nominees won.[1] The election was for six-year terms.
Democratic incumbent Karl A. Meyer was reelected to a third term.[3] Democratic incumbent Kenny E. Williamson, who had been appointed to fill a vacancy in 1940 was reelected to his first full term.[3] New Democratic member Walter W. McLaughlin was also elected.[3]
First-term Democratic incumbent Frank A. Jensen was not nominated for reelection.[1][3]
Trustees of the University of Illinois election[1][3]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Walter W. McLaughlin
1,944,733½
16.91
Democratic
Karl A. Meyer (incumbent)
1,941,038
16.88
Democratic
Kenney E. Williamson (incumbent)
1,923,750
16.73
Republican
Charles L. Engstrom
1,899,495½
16.52
Republican
Charles S. Pillsbury
1,888,459½
16.42
Republican
Charles Wham
1,862,787½
16.20
Socialist Labor
Helen Olson
7,269½
0.06
Socialist Labor
Nada Mijanovich
7,045
0.06
Socialist Labor
Gabriele McKenzie
6,806
0.06
Prohibition
Mildred E. Young
6,083½
0.05
Prohibition
Alonzo L. Parrott
5,956
0.05
Prohibition
Clay Freeman Gaumer
5,866
0.05
Total votes
11,499,290
100
Ballot measures[]
Two ballot measures were put before voters in 1944. One was a legislatively referred state statute and one was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.
In order to be approved, legislatively referred state statues required the support of a majority of those voting on the statute. In order to be approved, legislatively referred constitutional amendments required approval equal to a majority of voters voting in the entire general election.[4]
Illinois County Officer Term Limit Amendment[]
Illinois County Officer Term Limit Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which would have amended Section 8 of Article X of the Constitution of the 1870 Constitution of Illinois, failed to meet the threshold for approval.[1][5]
The amendment would have removed a constitutional provision requiring elected county officers to wait for four years after their term expired before they would be eligible to hold that same office again.[5]
Illinois County Officer Term Limit Amendment[1][5]
Option
Votes
% of all ballots cast
Yes
898,107
22.02
No
653,877
16.03
Total votes
1,551,984
38.05
Illinois General Banking Law Amendment[]
The Illinois General Banking Law Amendment, a legislatively referred state statute which amended section 10 of the Illinois General Banking Law, was approved by voters.[1][6]
Federal government
State government
Ballot measures and referendums
Chicago
Elections in Illinois