The Illinois voter registration deadline is October 8, 2024 for mailed applications. Online voter registration applications will be accepted until October 20, 2024.
Eligibility
In order to register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day, be 18 years old by Election Day, not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction, and not claim the right to vote anywhere else.
- If you are 17 years of age, you may vote in a Primary Election so long as you will be 18 years old by the date of the subsequent General Election Day.
- College students do have a choice of whether they want to vote in Illinois or vote in their home state. You may only be registered and vote at one location.
Deadline
The deadline to register to vote in Illinois for the General Election by mail is October 8, 2024 and via online is October 20, 2024.
Voter Registration Process
There are three methods of voter registration in Illinois: online, mail in a printable application, or in-person.
- Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies. Voters may also register to vote in grace period registration, beginning 27 days prior to an election (October 9, 2024) and ending 3 days before the election (November 2, 2024), but if they do so, they must vote in the office of an election authority or absentee/ by- mail.
- Further voter registration information for Illinois can be found here.
This page was last updated July 17, 2023.
Questions? Contact us here.
Illinois offers by-mail, in-person early voting, and in-person on Election Day voting in the 2024 General Election.
Vote-By-Mail Practices
Anyone who is registered to vote in the state of Illinois may request a mail-in ballot without providing a reason. Learn more about voting my mail in Idaho here and here.
- Registered Illinois voters can complete a mail-in ballot application online or by mail to their local election authority. All mail-in ballot applications must be received by their local election authority no later than 5 days before the election (October 31, 2024).
- Voters must submit their completed mail-in ballot by mail, at an official elections drop box, or in person to their local election authority by 7 pm on Election Day (November 5, 2024). Ballots submitted by mail must be postmarked on or before November 5 and received by the office of the local election authority within 2 weeks of Election Day (November 19, 2024).
Early Voting
Illinois offers in-person early voting to all registered Illinois voters. Find more information on in-person early voting here.
- Illinois’ early voting period begins 40 days before Election Day (September 26, 2024) and ends the day before Election Day (November 4, 2024)
- Early voting locations in Illinois typically include municipal clerk offices, township clerk offices, road district clerk offices, and a county or local public agency offices.
- In-person early voting locations/ dates/ times vary based on jurisdiction. For more information about voting early in your district, check here or contact your local election authority.
Election Day Practices
On Election Day, the polls are open 6 am- 7 pm. You can find more information about voting in-person on Election Day in Illinois here.
- Registered Illinois voters do not have to present a form of ID to vote, unless they are a first-time voter who registered to vote by mail and did not submit an ID with their registration. Those who must show ID, can present a current and valid photo ID, a utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, a lease or contract for residence, a student ID and mail addressed to voter’s residence, a form of government document.
- Some polling places allow Illinois residents to register on Election Day. For more information about same-day voter registration, contact your local election authority.
This page was last updated July 18, 2024.
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