Election 2020

You need to register first. Only registered voters can vote.

• You are a U.S. citizen (native-born or naturalized)
• You are at least 18 years old by November 3, 2020
• Since October 5, 2020, you have lived at the address you listed when you registered to vote
• You can vote if you have been convicted of a crime, are not incarcerated now and meet the above requirements. If you are in a county jail and have not been sentenced, you can vote by mail.

September 24, 2020 is the first day of early voting. 

On-line:

Before 11:59pm on 10/18, go here. You’ll need these four things:

• Your valid Illinois driver’s license or Illinois state ID number
• The last four digits of your social security number
• The date your IL driver’s license or state ID was issued
• Your birth date
  
  

In Person:

• At your local election authority’s office or at voter registration drives authorized by your election authority. Contact your election authority by going to the Illinois State Board of Elections website
• Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, or Rockford) to see your election authority’s name, address, phone number and website (if they have a website). To find the name of your county, in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?” For example, “Decatur, Illinois is in which county?” 
• Drivers’ License facilities but only if you are updating or applying for a state ID or driver’s license. To find your nearest drivers’ license facility, go to the Illinois Secretary of State’s official website and type in your zip code. The secretary of state, by the way, is elected by voters.
• Deputy registrars. Deputy registrars are registered voters who are trained by their election authority to register voters. Deputy registrars may come to your home or school, for example, and may be at public events.

By Mail:

Print your voter registration form from this site.

For identification purposes, you will be asked to provide.

• Your valid Illinois driver’s license or Illinois state ID number or the last four digits of your social security number

If you do not provide this required information when you mail in your form, you will be required to provide to election officials these documents the first time you vote in person or prior to voting by mail.

Online voter registration closes October 18, 2020 at 11:59pm (16 days before election day).

Yes, just not on-line. You will need to print your application from the on-line site and mail it in. You may obtain a manual voter registration form here

• You can also register to vote and vote in-person during what’s called “Grace Period Voting.” You can register to vote in-person during Grace Period Voting but you must vote in-person immediately after registering.
  
  

Other forms of identification you can use to register to vote in Illinois:

• A copy of a current and valid ID such as an Illinois hunting or fishing license, your Illinois school ID (high school, college or university as long as it lists your current address), Illinois FOID card, a social security card or passport. Photos IDs are not required by law but are preferred.
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and physical address (the address where you live)
• A copy of your lease or rent receipt showing your name and physical address (the address where you live)

• At your local election authority’s office or at voter registration drives authorized by your election authority. Contact your election authority by going to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once there, select your county or your city to see your election authority’s name, address, phone number and website. To find the name of your county, in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?” For example, “Decatur, Illinois is in which county?” 
• Drivers’ License facilities but only if you are updating or applying for a state ID or driver’s license. To find your nearest drivers’ license facility, go to the Illinois Secretary of State’s official website and type in your zip code.
• Deputy registrars. Deputy registrars are registered voters who are trained by their election authority to register voters. Deputy registrars may come to your home or school, for example, and may be at public events

If you register in person, you need two forms of identification with at least one showing your current physical address (the address where you live).

Forms of identification could be a valid drivers’ license, state ID or social security card. If you do not have a drivers’ license or state ID, you may use an ID issued by a college or university accompanied by either a copy of your contract or lease for a residence or any postmarked mail delivered to your current residence address (the address where you live).

While state law does not specifically state that a voter applicant must show a photo ID, your election authority may ask for a photo ID to fully verify your identification when you register in their office. If you do not have a photo ID, you should still be able to register to vote with two other forms of ID.  Having a photo ID is preferred. 

You may register to vote and/or change your address while voting in-person at designated early voting locations in Illinois as early as September 24, 2020 and though 7pm on November 3, 2020 (election day).

To find your early voting location, contact your election authority by going to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, or Rockford) to see your election authorities’ name, address, phone number and website (if they have a website). To find the name of your county: in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?”  For example, “Decatur, Illinois is in which county?” 

During the grace period, you must register in person and vote during the same visit. You must present two (2) forms of identification, with one that shows the physical address where you live. Photo IDs are preferred but not specifically stated as a requirement in the law. Once you vote with a grace period ballot, the vote you cast is final and may not be revoked.

Yes. You can register and vote on election day at polling places across the state. Illinois is one of 11 states and the District of Columbia that allows this.

If you live in a county with a population of 100,000 or more, you can register to vote and vote at your home precinct on election day. Your home precinct is the polling place for your residence address that was assigned to you by your election authority when you registered to vote.  You can also register and vote in the office of your election authority.

To find your home precinct, call your election authority’s office. To find your local election authority, go to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, or Rockford) to see your election authorities’ name, address, phone number and website (if they have a website). To find the name of your county: in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?”  For example, “Champaign, Illinois is in which county?” 

If you live in a county with a population under 100,000, you can register to vote and vote on election day only in designated areas such as the elections office and in some counties an additional site at the population center of the county if that population center is not the county seat. Check with your election official to find your designated area if you live in a county with a population under 100,000.

Bring two kinds of identification to register to vote on election day. One of those forms of ID must include your current address. Valid forms of identification include a passport, a driver’s license, a state ID, school or work ID, bank statement, medical, utility or insurance bill, or school report card.   Photo IDs are preferred but not specifically stated as a requirement in the law.

Yes. You must re-register if you changed your name since the last time you voted.

If you have previously registered to vote elsewhere but now reside in a different jurisdiction in Illinois, you are required to re-register as if you were a new voter. Check with your election authority if you are unsure. Contact your election authority by going to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, or Rockford) to see your election authorities’ name, address, phone number and website (if they have a website). To find the name of your county: in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?”  For example, “Decatur, Illinois is in which county?” 

Yes. Do that here.

Check to see if you are registered by going here

Call your local election authority.  To find your local election authority, go to the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, and Rockford) and their contact information will be listed.

Yes. In 1992, Illinois legislators passed a law that allows people who are homeless the right to register to vote without a permanent address.  According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, you are considered homeless if you are living on the street, in shelters, or doubled-up in the homes of others.

Under the law, a homeless person may register to vote if he or she has two forms of identification and a mailing address (a shelter, a friend’s home where you are staying).

Contact your election official. Your election official’s office will have a copy of your ballot available before election day. If your election official’s office has a website, you may be able to view your sample ballot on-line. If not, you can call them and ask that a sample ballot be mailed to you.

Nearly all election officials in Illinois are county clerks. To find your county clerk’s office, type “county clerk” in a search engine and then the name of your county, and add the words “Illinois” in your search. For example “county clerk Champaign county Illinois.” Once you are on the site, look for an “elections” or “voter” tab.  It is under this tab that you will find your sample ballot. 

Your county clerk, by the way, is elected by voters.  If your county clerk is not your county’s election official, find your local election authority, go to the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once you are there, select your county or your city (if you live in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Bloomington, East St. Louis, or Rockford) to see your election authorities’ name, address, phone number and website (if they have a website). To find the name of your county: in a search engine type the name of your city and state and “is in which county?”  For example, “Champaign, Illinois is in which county?”

Look in your local newspaper. Some newspapers publish sample ballots.

• Journalists/reporters in public media and commercial media provide information about local and statewide elections using journalistic standards. Look to their websites for on-demand published stories and/or watch their broadcasts, read their newspapers and magazines.
  
  
• Nearly all candidates running for office have websites where they explain their positions, why they are running and their background. Search for them by name in a search engine to find their websites.
  
  
• Contact candidates and email them your questions or ask to meet with them in-person.
  
  
• Attend public candidate forums in your area.