Voter Registration
Registration Deadline:
Online registration deadline: 16 days before Election Day
Register by mail deadline: Must be received 27 days before Election Day
In person registration deadline: Available up to and including on Election Day
Party Affiliation: Illinois does not require that voters register under a political party. A voter will simply state the which party’s ballot they would like when they vote in primary elections.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: Must be 18 years old to vote in a Consolidated or General Election or 17 years of age to vote in a Consolidated Primary or General Primary if the individual will be 18 by
the time of the Consolidated or General Election.
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must have been a resident of the precinct for at least 30 days prior to election day
Felony Convictions: must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Illinois online voter registration application
In person: You can register to vote at the following locations:
- Board of Election Commissioner's Office
- City and village Offices
- Township offices
- Precinct committeemen
- Public libraries
- Military recruitment offices
- Locations specifically designated by the election authority
By mail/ in writing: You can download an Illinois voter registration application (Spanish) and mail to your local election authority.
IDs WHEN REGISTERING TO VOTE IN PERSON
Two forms of identification with at least one showing your current residence address are needed when you register in-person. If you register by mail, sufficient proof of identity is
required by submission of your driver's license number or State identification card number. If you do not have either of those, verification by the last 4 digits of your social security number, a copy of a current and valid photo identification, or a copy of a
current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address will be required. A person may also
demonstrate sufficient proof of identity by submission of an identification card issued by a college or university accompanied by either a copy of the applicant's contract or
lease for a residence or any postmarked mail delivered to the applicant at their current residence address.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Illinois voter registration lookup
VOTE BY MAIL QUALIFICATIONS
Who can vote by mail:
Any qualified elector of the State of Illinois who is properly registered to vote
Any registered or non-registered member of the United States Armed Forces while on active duty, members of the Merchant Marines, and/or U.S. Government employee serving outside the U.S., as well as his/her spouse and dependent(s) who expect to be absent from their county of residence on Election Day
Any registered and non-registered citizen of the United States, temporarily out of the country and his/her spouse and dependent(s) of voting age when residing with or accompanying him/her
Any State or federal employee (and their spouse) who had a voting residence in the precinct at the time he/she entered employment, but who now resides elsewhere due to state or federal employment
OBTAINING VOTE BY MAIL APPLICATION
Voter must obtain a vote by mail application from their election authority, in-person or online, to request a vote by mail ballot. Upon receiving the application, the voter completes, signs, and then returns it to the election authority.
Vote by mail applications can be submitted 90 days through 5 days prior to the election.
You may also apply to vote by mail permanently now, so even in future election cycles you will not have to submit an application.
If submitted by mail outside the U.S. an application must be made:
*Not less than 30 days prior to the election to receive full ballot or;
*Less than 30 days prior to the election to receive a federal ballot only
VOTING BY MAIL
Any vote by mail ballot must be placed into the certification envelope provided. The certification on the envelope must be completed, signed, and the envelope sealed. Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, and must be received within 14 days of the election. All vote by mail ballots are processed centrally.
For military and overseas voters, voting by mail may begin 45 days prior to the election.
For everyone else, voting by mail may begin 40 days prior to each election
Early Voting
Registered voters may cast a ballot prior to Election Day without having to provide a reason for wanting to vote early. This ballot is cast by personal appearance at the
office of the election authority or at an Early Voting Center.
The period for early voting begins the 40th day preceding an election and extends through the end of the day before Election Day.
Military and Overseas Voting
Click here for more information
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
The polls are open from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
If a voter's name doesn't appear on the official voter list or if his/her vote is successfully challenged, he may cast a provisional ballot. Click here for more information.
Additional Information
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Polling Place: Illinois registration verification and polling place finder
Verifying provisional ballot status: Click Here
This measure is a non-binding advisory question which would ask voters on whether to provide for medically assisted reproductive treatments, including in vitro fertilization, to be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides full coverage to pregnancy benefits. Because this measure is a non-binding advisory question, it will have no legal effect on a state's laws, but will allow for government officials to gauge public opinion.
This measure is a non-binding advisory question which would ask voters whether any candidates appearing on the Illinois ballot be subject to civil penalties if that candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker's official duties. This question applies to candidates for federal, state, or local office. Because this measure is a non-binding advisory question, it will have no legal effect on a state's laws, but will allow for government officials to gauge public opinion.
This measure is a non-binding advisory question which would ask voters whether the state constitution should be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief. Because this measure is a non-binding advisory question, it will have no legal effect on a state's laws, but will allow for government officials to gauge public opinion.