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Illinois Auditor General

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Illinois Auditor General

Seal of Illinois.png

General information
Office Type:  Nonpartisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $207,000
2026 FY Budget:  $44,212,488
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   10 years
Selection Method:  Appointed by the Illinois General Assembly
Current Officeholder(s)

Illinois Auditor General Christopher B. Meister
Nonpartisan
Assumed office: May 1, 2026

Other Illinois Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Comptroller • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Illinois Commerce Commission

The Illinois Auditor General is a state executive position in the Illinois state government. The auditor general audits public funds of the state and reports findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and to the governor.[1]

Current officeholder

The current Illinois Auditor General is Christopher B. Meister (nonpartisan). Meister assumed office in 2026.

Authority

The Illinois Auditor General's powers, term of office, etc. are derived from Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

Article VIII, Section III:

The General Assembly shall provide by law for the audit of the obligation, receipt and use of public funds of the State...

Qualifications

Chapter 30, Article II, Section 2-1 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes establishes the qualifications of the office:[2]

The Auditor General must be a person qualified under the Constitution and determined by the General Assembly to be experienced and competent in governmental auditing, financial management, or government operation and knowledgeable in the subject of state government.
  • meets Constitutional requirements.
  • deemed experienced and competent in auditing, related tasks and the state government by General Assembly.

Appointments

The auditor general is appointed by a vote of at least three-fifths of the members of the Illinois General Assembly to a 10-year term.[3]

Article VI, Section III:

The General Assembly, by a vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house, shall appoint an Auditor General and may remove him for cause by a similar vote. The Auditor General shall serve for a term of ten years.

Additionally, Chapter 30, Article II, Sections 2-2 and 2-3 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes states that:

Sec. 2-2. Term of office.
The Auditor General shall serve for a term of 10 years, each Auditor General's term commencing with the effective date of his appointment. At the conclusion of his term, the Auditor General becomes Acting Auditor General, until the appointment and qualification of a successor. A partially completed term of an Auditor General is terminated upon the occurrence of a vacancy in that office.

Sec. 2-3. Appointment-Procedure.

(a) Except as may otherwise be provided by the Joint Rules of the General Assembly:
(1) Upon the creation of a vacancy in the office of Auditor General, the Commission shall diligently search out qualified candidates for the office and make recommendations to the General Assembly;
(2) The Auditor General shall be appointed by a joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which may specify the date on which the appointment takes effect.
(b) A joint resolution, or other document as may be specified by the Joint Rules, appointing an Auditor General must be certified by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate as having been adopted by the affirmative vote of 3/5 of the members elected to each house, respectively, and be filed with the Secretary of State.
(c) An appointment of an Auditor General takes effect on the day the appointment is completed by the General Assembly, unless the appointment specifies a later date on which it is to become effective.

Vacancies

The General Assembly fills vacancies for the auditor general's office with the regular appointment process outlined in the previous section.

Chapter 30, Article II, Sections 2-5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes details the definition of a vacancy and how the position is temporarily filled given the death, end of term, disqualification from office, or removal from office.[4]

(a) A vacancy in the office of Auditor General occurs upon:
(1) the death or resignation of the Auditor General;
(2) the disqualification of the Auditor General pursuant to Sections 1 or 2 of Article XIII of the Constitution;
(3) the removal of the Auditor General by the General Assembly; or
(4) the conclusion of the term of an Auditor General.
(b) When a vacancy in the office of Auditor General occurs, the Deputy Auditor General becomes Acting Auditor General, except when the former Auditor General serves as Acting Auditor General pursuant to Section 2-2.
(c) An Acting Auditor General may exercise all of the powers and shall have all of the duties of the Auditor General. An Acting Auditor General shall receive the compensation fixed by law for the Auditor General for as long as he holds that position.
(d) An Acting Auditor General serves at the pleasure of the General Assembly and of the Commission, either of which may remove him without cause. Removal by the General Assembly or the Commission of an Acting Auditor General who holds that position ex officio as Deputy Auditor General also operates to remove him from the office of Deputy Auditor General.

Duties

The auditor general's office performs several types of audits to review State agencies. Financial audits and compliance examinations are mandated by law. They disclose the obligation, expenditure, receipt and use of public funds. They also provide agencies with specific recommendations to ensure full compliance with State statutes, rules and regulations. The auditor general also reviews compliance with federal statutes and rules and regulations for those agencies subject to the Federal Single Audit Act of 1984.[1]

Divisions

Click here to view a larger-scale image of the Illinois Auditor General Organizational Chart as of June 2025.

As of January 19, 2021, the auditor general's office is divided into two divisions based on the different areas the office is assigned to audit:[5]

  • Performance Audit Division
  • Financial/Compliance Audit Division

State budget

See also: Illinois state budget and finances

The auditor general's office budget for fiscal year 2026 was $44,212,488.[6]

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers
Illinois Auditor General
YearSalarySource
2025$207,000Source 1
2024$197,200Source 1
2023$187,800Source 1
2022$178,800Source 1
2021$175,200Source 1
2020$170,400Source 1
2019$157,212Source 1
2018$157,212Source 1
2017$157,212Source 1
2016$157,212Source 1
2015$149,005Source 1
2014$151,035Source 1
2013$149,564Source 1
2012$149,005Source 1
2010$149,005Source 1

Historical officeholders

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Illinois Auditor General has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Illinois Auditor General. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Illinois Auditor General - Google News

Contact information

The Office of the Auditor General has two locations:[7]

Iles Park Plaza
740 East Ash St.
Springfield, IL 62703-3154
Phone: (217) 782-6046
Fax: (217) 785-8222
TTY number: (888) 261-2887

Michael A. Bilandic Building
160 N. LaSalle Street
Suite S-900
Chicago, Illinois 60601-3103
Phone: (312) 814-4000
Fax: (312) 814-4006 (fax)

Email: auditor@mail.state.il.us

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Illinois Auditor, "Description" accessed January 19, 2021
  2. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Chapter 30, Article II, Section 2-1," accessed January 19, 2021
  3. ↑ Illinois Auditor General, "Description" accessed January 19, 2021
  4. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Chapter 30, Article II, Section 2-5," accessed January 19, 2021
  5. ↑ Illinois Auditor General, "FOIA Facts About the Office of the Auditor General," accessed January 19, 2021
  6. ↑ State of Illinois Office of Management and Budget, "FY25 Final and FY26 Enacted Table I-A Operating and Capital," accessed October 23, 2025
  7. ↑ Illinois Auditor, "Contact Information" accessed December 20, 2012
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