Voting In Illinois

1. Vote By Mail:

A.Vote By Mail:

A.

REQUESTING A BALLOT:

TRACKING YOUR BALLOT:

IF YOU DON'T RECIEVE YOUR BALLOT:

  • Contact your election authority to inquire about the ballot.
  • If you vote in person, you may be required to sign an affidavit stating you did not receive the mail-in ballot in order to vote a regular in-person ballot. Otherwise you may be required to fill out a provisional ballot (find out more about provisional ballots).

RETURNING YOUR BALLOT:

  • Return your ballot as soon as possible.
  • You can return your ballot at your local election authority
  • You can return it at a designated drop box if there are ones in your county. Check with your election authority or through the Illinois Board of Elections.
  • If you mail your ballot it must be postmarked by Election day(make sure it's in the mail before this day), and received two weeks later.
  • You do not need to have correct postage for your ballot to be accepted.
  • You can also return your ballot with an election judge at your local polling location. But if choosing this option you may want to surrender your ballot and vote in-person so that your ballot does not get lost.

 

2. If Your Requested A Ballot But Choose to Vote in Person:

A.If Your Requested A Ballot But Choose to Vote in Person:

A.
  • If you have already received your mail ballot, take it with you to an early voting site or your polling place on Election Day and surrender it to an election judge. Your mail ballot should be voided, and you should receive a regular ballot.

  • If you have not yet received your mail ballot, you should be asked to sign an affidavit certifying you have not received your ballot. You should then be issued a regular ballot.
  • If you received your mail ballot but lost it, you may sign an affidavit certifying you have not yet voted in this election. You should then be issued a provisional ballot.
  • If your mail ballot arrives after you have voted but on or before Election Day, you must discard the mail ballot. Do not attempt to vote your mail ballot after you have voted in person. Doing so is a Class 3 felony. (And because voting systems will not allow more than one vote per voter, your mail ballot will be rejected.)
  • Find your early voting polling location, or your polling location on Election Day

3. Early Voting:

A.Early Voting:

A.

Early voting is typically available 40 days before an election until the day before. 

4. Voting on Election Day:

A.Voting on Election Day:

A.

5. Do You Need to Show an ID?

A.Do You Need to Show an ID?

A.

You need not present a photo ID to vote in Illinois. A poll worker should not ask you for ID except in a narrow range of circumstances. You may need an ID if:

  • An Election Judge challenges your right to vote
  • You registered to vote by mail and did not provide ID
  • If you are also registering to vote or changing your registration address on the day that you vote

Find more information in the Know Your Rights Page.