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Your Vote Matters!

Your vote is your voice! Find out how to vote in Cook County.

Election Day is November 8.

Learn how to register to vote, how to vote by mail and how to vote at your polling place.

Register to Vote Vote By MaIL How to VoteFAQS

How to Register To Vote

You can register to vote online, by mail or in person.

Register by mail: through October 11

Fill out and sign this form, then deliver or mail it by the deadline.

Register online: through October 23

Use your IL driver’s license or state ID card to register to vote or to change your name or address. You may register online at your new address using an IL state ID and/or IL driver’s license that still has your old address.

Register in person at early voting sites: September 29 through November 8

You must show two acceptable forms of ID. At least one ID must list your current address.

Register at your precinct polling place on Election Day: November 8

Eligible voters can still register and vote at their home polling place on Election Day. You must show two acceptable forms of ID. At least one ID must list your current address.

Register at the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office: through November 8

You may register to vote while obtaining a new driver’s license or state ID.

More information:

Apply to Vote By Mail

Voters can now join a Permanent Vote By Mail Roster and have their ballots sent directly to their preferred address ahead of every election. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes beginning September 29.

Please note: if you already signed up for the Permanent Vote By Mail Roster, you will be receiving your Vote By Mail ballot for the November 8 General Election at your preferred delivery address.

Apply to vote by mail online: through November 3

When you apply online to Vote By Mail, the Election Board will send you emails:

  • When your application is accepted,
  • When your ballot is mailed to you,
  • When the Election Board receives your Ballot Return Envelope, and
  • When your ballot has been processed and counted.

Send in a paper application to vote by mail: through November 3

This form must be returned no later than 5 days prior to any election by personal delivery or by mailing it to: Chicago Board of Elections, 69 W. Washington St. #800, Chicago, IL, 60602.

How to Vote

Vote in person on November 8

Find your polling place:

Send your mail-in ballot by November 8

Your mail-in ballot must be postmarked by November 8 to be counted. You can also:

  • Drop off your mail-in ballot at the Board of Elections, 69 W. Washington
  • Put your mail-in ballot in the Secure Drop Box at any Early Voting site.

Early voting: September 29 through November 8

FAQS

Who is Eligible to Vote and Other FAQs

To be an eligible voter in Illinois, an individual must be:

  • A United States citizen
  • At least 18 years of age on the date of the election
  • A resident of their precinct in Illinois for at least 30 days before the day of the election

Eligible voters must also be able to show identification to register to vote.

People experiencing homelessness are eligible to vote in Illinois. Their current mailing address is recognized as their residence for voting purposes.

To provide proof of address, people experiencing homelessness should present one of the following items at the polls:

  • A piece of mail addressed to the voter
  • A statement or letter from a case manager, homeowner or religious leader that states the voter is allowed to use this mailing address
  • An ID card issued by a homeless shelter showing the name and mailing address of the voter

  • New Residents: You must live in your precinct for 30 days to be eligible to vote. If you moved before October 5, you can vote at your current address. If you move within Chicago on or after September 29, you can vote at your old Chicago address and update your address for future elections.
  • Justice-Involved Individuals: Any justice-involved individual who is released from IDOC is eligible to vote. More information.
    • If you are being held in jail due to inability to pay bail and your case is still in court without a verdict, you can still vote.
    • If you are on probation or parole, you can still vote.
    • If you have lost your right to vote due to a felony conviction, you will need to re-register after release.
  • College Students: College students should check their registration address and make sure their vote-by-mail ballot is going to the address where they are currently located.
  • Voters who are homeless: People experiencing homelessness are eligible to vote in Illinois. Their current mailing address is recognized as their residence for voting purposes. To provide proof of address, people experiencing homelessness should present one of the following items at the polls:
    • A piece of mail addressed to the voter
    • A statement or letter from a case manager, homeowner, or religious leader that states the voter is allowed to use this mailing address
    • An ID card issued by a homeless shelter showing the name and mailing address of the voter.
  • Immigrants and New Citizens: Any US citizen is able to vote. There are ballots and applications available in multiple languages throughout Chicago and Cook County.

To register to vote in Illinois, the voter must show two forms of identification. One of these IDs must have the voter’s current address.

Voters can use these forms of ID:

  • Passport or Military ID
  • Driver’s License or State ID
  • College, University, School or Work ID
  • Vehicle registration card
  • Lease, mortgage or deed to home
  • Credit or debit card
  • Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid card
  • Insurance card
  • Civic, union or professional membership card
  • LINK/Public Aid/Department of Human Services card
  • Illinois FOID card

Some forms of mail can be used as ID. These forms of mail include:

  • A bill, transcript or report card from school
  • A bank statement, pay stub or pension statement
  • A utility, medical or insurance bill
  • Official mail from any government agency

These forms of identification are also needed to change your address on the day of voting. No identification is needed if the voter is already registered and is voting in person at their designated precinct and their signature matches the one on file.

If an individual does not have the proper identification on the day of voting, they will be allowed to vote using a provisional ballot on election day. The required identification must then be presented to the Cook County Clerk’s office (69 W. Washington St., Suite 500, Chicago IL 60602) within 7 days of the election for the provisional ballot to be counted.

More information

In Illinois, all voters can request to vote by mail. You can check online to see if your polling site is accessible.

Both Chicago and Cook County provide services to assist voters including:

  • Wheelchair accessible/seated voting booths
  • Audio and Audio Visual Ballots
  • Assisted Voting (either with trusted family member/friend or two judges of election)
  • Curbside voting if the polling site is not accessible
    • For Chicago: must be requested by 5 p.m. the day before Election Day at 69 W. Washington Street, Suite 600; can also be requested on Election Day if polling site is inaccessible. Voters may call 312-269-7870 on Election Day with questions/concerns
    • For Cook County: Request Curbside Voting 1 week before Election Day by calling (312) 603-0929 or emailing [email protected]
More Information

In September, Chicago and Cook County will release sample ballots. Your ballot will be different depending on where you live. Look at the sample ballot to see what offices, candidates and referendums will be on the ballot.

City of Chicago Voters: On Chicago’s Board of Election website, information is listed in 7 different languages (English, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, and Tagalog).

Suburban Cook County Voters: There are vote by mail ballot applications for suburban Cook County in 12 languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Urdu). Touch screen ballots are prepared with English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi ballots and there are audio ballots in these languages. Suburban Cook County also provides language hotlines for voters needing assistance. You can call these numbers on or before Election Day.

  • En Español llama: 312-603-6767
  • 以國語接聽，請撥 : 312-603-6769
  • Polski: 312-603-6770
  • टेलीफोन: 312-603-6743
  • TDD: 312-603-0902
  • More information is available here.

If you requested a mail-in ballot but later decide you would like to vote in person, you must bring your mail-in ballot to the polling site and surrender it to an election judge.

If you never received your mail-in ballot or lost your mail-in ballot, you can go to an early polling site or election day polling precinct. You can vote in person after you sign an affidavit stating you do not have your mail-in ballot.

For assistance on Election Day, call your election office:

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Find Your Voter Information

Make sure your voice is heard on election day.

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