CHICAGO — If you forgot to register to vote but still want to cast a ballot Tuesday, you’re in luck.
Illinois is one of 17 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allows residents to register to vote on Election Day. To make it happen, here’s what you need:
- Find your correct precinct and polling place by entering your home address here.
- Bring two forms of ID to your polling place, with at least one displaying your current address. This can include a driver’s license, state ID or passport along with a utility bill or other piece of mail.
That’s it! Get voting. For comprehensive information on judicial races, which take up most of the ballot in Cook County, check out the Injustice Watch guide here.
To prepare a “cheat sheet” before you enter the voting booth, you can create your own here.
To be eligible to vote, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen, and
- be born on or before November 6, 2000, and
- live in your precinct at least 30 days before the election, and
- not claim the right to vote elsewhere; and
- not be in prison/jail serving time for a conviction. (Note: People who are being held in jail but have not been convicted are eligible to vote. Ex-convicts who have been released from prison/jail and who meet all other requirements listed above are eligible to register and vote in Illinois. Ex-convicts who have been released and are on parole/probation ARE eligible to register and vote in Illinois.)