How to Vote in the Nov. 8 Illinois General Election: Early Voting, Voting by Mail, Candidates and Polling Places

by Better Staff
vote Illinois 2022

On Nov. 8, Illinois voters will cast their ballots in the midterm election for governor, two Illinois Supreme Court justices, state attorney general, all 17 of Illinois’ representatives and other state, local and federal positions. A number of key issues are at stake: abortion rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, crime, inflation, gun control and more, and early voting has already begun.

According to Democracy Works – a nonprofit that works to help Americans vote in every election – misinformation and confusion about election procedures have resulted in low voter turnout. The June 28 primary saw turnout down by 26.48% from 2018. Don’t be dissuaded: the time to make your voice heard is now.

Here’s what you need to know about the candidates, early voting, voting by mail and voting on November 8.

Are you eligible to vote?

If you are a U.S. citizen who has resided in Illinois for at least 30 days prior to election day and are at least 18 years of age by Nov. 8, you can vote.

Are you registered to vote?

You need to be registered to vote in Illinois in order to vote in the general election. This can be done ahead of time or the day of. You can check your voter registration status at Rock the Vote.

For voting day registration, you can register at your local polling place. To register, you need two forms of identification, one being your form of ID and one that shows your current address, like a utility bill addressed to you.

Accepted forms of ID:
  – Passport or Military ID
  – Driver’s License or State ID card
  – College/University/School/Work ID
  – Vehicle registration card
  – Lease, mortgage or deed to home
  – Credit or debit card
  – Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid card
  – Insurance card
  – Civic, union or professional membership card
  – LINK/Public Aid/Department of Human Services card
  – Illinois FOID card

Examples of mail addressed to voter that can be used as ID:
  – Bill, Transcript or Report Card from School
  – Bank Statement, Pay Stub or Pension Statement
  – Utility, Medical or Insurance Bill
  – Official mail from any government agency

Where is my polling place?

Find your polling place through the links below, based on your residency:

Who are the candidates?

It depends on your county and city, but in addition to electing representatives in the U.S. House, Illinois residents will also vote for governor. You can see who will be on your ballot at Ballotpedia.

Republican Daren Bailey is running against incumbent Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, who is also seeking reelection this year. You can read where they stand on issues in this recent Q&A with Chicago Sun-Times.

For more on candidates and where they stand, read WTTW’s guide or check On the Issues.

How to vote by mail

Anyone can vote by mail, but you must have applied to do so by Nov. 3 for this election. Ballots need to be sent on or before Nov. 8, and will come with a postage-paid envelope so voters can mail for free. You can also deliver it personally to your Election Board, or drop in a designated ballot box in your county.

Apply to vote by mail:

How to vote early

Early voting has begun and ends on Nov. 7.

Find your early voting site:

Voting on Nov. 8

To vote on Election Day at your local polling place, bring an acceptable form of ID. An ID is not required in most cases if you are registered to vote already, but you will need to show one form of ID if an election judge challenges your right to vote. 

What if you have trouble registering or voting?

Contact the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE, led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Where can you find election results?

Most media outlets will have real-time results, and of course your local news channel will be broadcasting all day with updates. You can also find results at Politico along with their predicted results for the race.

How to Help:

Consider becoming a poll worker — these individuals are essential to helping elections run fairly and smoothly.

To be a poll worker in Illinois:

  • You must be registered to vote in Illinois
  • You must be at least 18 years of age
  • Political affiliation required
  • Term requirement of 2 years
  • You will be entitled to compensation
  • You must be a resident of the precinct for the 30 days before the election
  • You must complete the required training
  • Students with citizenship who are juniors or seniors in good standing enrolled in a public or private secondary school; may work with written permission from a parent or guardian and school principal and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0

Learn more by contacting your Board of Elections.

More from Better:

  Who We Are       NFP Support       Magazine       Programs       Donate    

Subscribe
X