VOTER REGISTRATION
Registration Deadline:
Registration is open year round except:
- During the 27 day period just prior to an election
- During the 2 days after such election (1 day after in Chicago)
Grace Period Registration is an extension of the period of time for a voter to register to vote, or to update their registration information. This Grace Period Registration extends registration from the normal close of registration up through the 7th day before the election.
Party Affiliation: Illinois uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may choose a single party ballot within the primaries, but voters registered for a party may only vote in their own party's primary.
VOTER REGISTRATION QUALIFICATIONS
Age: At least 18 years of age by election day
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
Mental Competency: No mental competency requirements to vote.
Felony Convictions: Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison
ID Requirements:
In person registration requires two forms of identification with at least one showing your current residential address.
n Mailed registration requires one of the following:
-Submission of driver's license number;
-State ID card number;
-Last four digits of social security number; or
-Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address
-If none of the above are available, a person may also demonstrate sufficient proof of identity by submission of a photo identification 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 his or her current residential address.
OBTAINING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM
Online: Illinois online voter registration application
In person:
You can register to vote at the following locations:
- County Clerk's Office
- Board of election commissioner's Office
- City and Village Offices
- Township Offices
- Precinct committeemen
- Schools
- Public Libraries
- Military Recruitment Offices
The following organizations may be entitled to register people to vote:
- Some Labor Groups
- Some Civic Groups
- Some Corporations
When applying for service at the following:
- Driver's License Facilities
- Department of Healthcare & Family Services
- Department of Employment Security
By mail/ in writing: Under federal law, citizens may apply to register to vote by mailing in an application. The applications are available at some public and private facilities where you live. Also, applications can be downloaded from the Illinois State Board of Elections website. When you apply for registration using the mail-in form, it must be postmarked prior to the close of registration.
By fax: Contact your local election authority for faxing options.
VERIFYING YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS
Online: Illinois voter registration lookup
Phone: Contact your local election authority
ABSENTEE BALLOT QUALIFICATIONS
Who can vote absentee: Any qualified elector of the State of Illinois properly registered where registration is required
OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Online: Illinois Application for Absentee Ballots will be available here 40 days before each election.
In person: Obtain an application from your election authority
By mail: Obtain an application from your election authority
Military and overseas voting: Illinois Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) site. Create a MOVE(Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment) account in order to register absentee online.
Emergency Voting: Illinois offers grace period registration which extends the registration period up through the 7th day before the election. Once registered, a voter may cast a ballot during the grace period at the election authority, or by mail, at the discretion of the election authority.
Other absentee ballot information:
Absentee Absentee ballot applications have a certain deadline window to fall in.
In person: Not more than 40 days or less than 1 day prior to the election
By Mail inside the U.S.: Not more than 40 days or less than 5 days prior to the election.
By mail outside the U.S.: Not less than 30 days prior to the election to receive full ballot or less than 30 days prior to the election, but more than 10 days prior to the election to receive a Federal ballot only.
SUBMITTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Location and time: Mailed ballots must be postmarked before midnight the night before an election and must be received within 14 days of the election. Contact your local election authority for in person locations and hours.
EARLY VOTING
Early voting qualifications: Any registered voter may participate in early voting without further registration or qualifications. Illinois early voting procedures
Other information for early voting: Election authorities may establish permanent polling locations. For exact locations and hours contact your local election authority.
QUALIFICATIONS
Verifying Registration: Illinois voter registration verification
Deciding how to vote: http://www.votesmart.org/
Time off to vote: Every employee is entitled, after giving notice, to two hours off work, provided that the employee's working hours begin less than 2 hours after the opening of the polls and end less than 2 hours before the closing of the polls.
Polling Place: Illinois registration verification and polling place finder
ID Requirements: The following listed forms of identification must show your name and address and must be presented to the election officials before being permitted to vote:
-A current and valid photo identification;
-Utility bill;
-Bank statement;
-Government check;
-Paycheck;
-Lease or contract for residence;
-Student ID and mail addressed to voter's residence;
-Government document
How to Vote:
- Optical scan
- DRE
- Hybrid
View voting system by county
Problems with voting: HAVA complaints must be filed up to 90 days after the violation of election policy. The complaint must be in writing, stating the specific nature of the violation; it must be signed by the complainant and notarized. For more detailed information see Illinois's rules of administrative complaint procedure.
Verifying provisional ballot status: Illinois provisional ballot verification
Verifying absentee ballot status: Contact your local election authority.
