How to vote in the March 19 primary
A guide to casting your ballot — whether you’re looking to register to vote, vote by mail or vote in person
The Illinois presidential primary is officially March 19, but if recent history is any guide, a large number of voters will have chosen to cast their ballots early or by mail. There’s still time for you to vote in any of the above ways. Here’s everything you need to know about how you can vote.
Q. How can I register to vote?
You can register to vote online at ova.elections.il.gov or in person at your early voting location — or you can even register at your polling place on election day. If you register to vote in person when you go to cast your ballot, you must bring two forms of ID (such as your passport, driver’s license, lease or mortgage) with at least one of them listing your current address.
Q. How can I vote by mail?
You can apply right now to receive your ballot through the mail. Anyone who wishes to vote by mail must apply before 5 p.m. on March 14. Your ballot must be postmarked by March 19 in order for it to count. You must apply to vote by mail through your local election authority. Go to your local election authority’s website (such as https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/vote-mail for Chicagoans) to find an application for a vote-by-mail ballot.
Q. I voted by mail last year. If I want to vote by mail again, do I need to apply again?
That depends. If you’re on the permanent vote-by-mail list, you don’t have to apply again.
You can apply to permanently get your ballot through the mail through your local election authority.
If you’re not on the permanent vote-by-mail list, you’ll need to apply for a mail-in ballot again this year. Remember to do that before March 14, or you’ll need to vote in person.
Q. When and where can I vote in person early?
City of Chicago: Residents can vote at the supersite location at 191 N. Clark St. downtown or at 69 W. Washington St., sixth floor. Each of the city’s 50 wards also has its own early voting location.
Suburban Cook County: Residents can vote in downtown Chicago at the pedway of 69 W. Washington St., or at locations throughout the suburbs.
For other counties, you can find early voting locations listed on your election authority’s website.
Q. Where can I vote on election day?
Chicago voters can cast their ballot at the voting supersite at 191 N. Clark St., at their early voting location or you can look up your local polling place by visiting https:// chicagoelections.gov/voting/yourvoter-information.
Suburban Cook County residents can find their local polling location at https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/ elections/your-voter-information.
Collar county residents can find more information on their local election authority’s website.
Q. I just moved. Where do I vote?
If you moved 30 days before election day, vote at the polling location for your new address. If you moved less than 30 days before election day, vote at the location for your old address.
Q. I requested a mail-in ballot, but now I want to vote in person. Can I do that?
Yes, but you must bring the ballot you received in the mail with you to your polling place and surrender it in order to cast an in-person ballot instead.
Q. Can I bring notes with me to the voting booth?
Yes. Notes, sample ballots and endorsements are allowed to be brought with you into a polling booth.
Q. Can I bring my young child with me to vote?
Yes, you can bring your children with you into the voting booth.
Q. I’ve heard that you can’t post a photo of a completed ballot on social media. Is that true?
Correct. Illinois prohibits “ballot selfies.” That said, there’s no law stopping you from taking a picture with that “I voted” sticker.
Q. Are ballots in other languages available?
Chicago and Cook County polling locations have voting machines that offer audio ballots in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (audio in Mandarin dialect), Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Urdu.
Q. Can someone else help me fill out my ballot?
Anyone who is blind, physically disabled or unable to read or write can select an election judge, friend, family member or another voter to help them complete their ballot. That person can’t be a representative of your employer or union, however. The person helping you is not allowed to influence your vote and cannot fill out your ballot without your expressed intent.
Q. When will my vote get counted?
Ballots are tabulated in Illinois after polls close on election day. Mailed ballots that come in after election day will be counted as long as they’re postmarked by March 19.