Your options for voting are:
Jump ahead to voter registration at the Illinois Online Voter Application website.
Learn who can register to vote in this video from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
If you need voting information in languages other than English, go to the Vote.gov website and use the Select Language button at the top. Sí necesita información en otra idioma, visite el site vote gov y clic el link "select language" en la cabeza de página.
In the next box, you will learn more about registering to vote and how to plan ahead.
Use the Registration Lookup tool at the voter application website. You will need to enter your name, birthday, zip code, and street address.
If your card was lost, damaged, or stolen contact your state election office to get a replacement. The Illinois State Board of Elections has offices in Springfield and Chicago. The telephone numbers and office hours for both locations are listed on the Board's website.
There are several different ways you can register to vote.
You need an Illinois driver's license or Illinois state identification card. If you don't have one of those, you can also register in person using other forms of identification. Learn more about identification options at the Cook County Clerk's Office website.
You can change it online through the online registration form at the State Board of Elections website. You can also download, print, and mail the National Voter Registration form.
Illinois residents can still register during the grace period. This must be done in person. Find out where to go for grace period registration and see instructions at the State Board of Elections website.
If you recently moved to Illinois and missed the registration deadline, you can still vote by mail or in person in your old state for the presidential election.
Federal Elections are held on the first Tuesday of November, while municipal elections take place on the first Tuesday of February. Find our where to go at the polling place lookup tool. You do not need to show identification at the polls, but it is a good idea to carry it with you in case the poll workers can't find your registration.
Federal early voting opens in during the last week of September. The Illinois State Board of Elections has a complete guide on how to vote before election day at their website. Any registered voter in Illinois can vote early.
The Illinois State Board of Elections has a webpage with information about accessibility and how to get assistance at polling places.
Vote by mail registration opens the first Tuesday in August. Use the online application at the Illinois State Board of Elections website. When you complete your ballot, find your vote by mail drop box location using the State Board's online tool.
Illinois also has a permanent vote by mail system. You can add your registration to the permanent vote by mail roster when you request a mail-in ballot. Permanent vote by mail makes sure you can still vote if you are not able to go to your polling place on election day. Registering for vote by mail does not prevent you from voting in person. You can exchange your mail in ballot for a regular ballot at your polling place.
Military voters or United States citizens living abroad can request an absentee ballot.
The American Civil Liberties Union compiled this helpful guide to your voting rights. It includes information for disabled voters, what to do if someone tries to interfere with your vote, and how to get language assistance at the polls if you are not fluent in English.
Trans people can face significant obstacles to voting. The ACLU released an additional guide to help you vote successfully.
Home Page • Illinois State Board of Elections. (n.d.). Retrieved 08 September, 2025 from https://www.elections.il.gov/
