Who Can Register to Vote in Illinois?

To register to vote in Illinois, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Live in your election precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day

• Be at least 17 years old by the Primary Election and turn 18 by the General Election

• Not be serving a sentence of confinment in any penal institution

• Not claim the right to vote anywhere else

Are You Already Registered?

If you think that you may already be registered to vote, you can check by using the State Board of Election's Voter Registration Lookup.

Register Online or Update Your Registration

⬇️ Search for your polling place ⬇️

📬 Voting by mail is an option for voters to cast their ballot prior to Election Day. Voters can request a vote by mail ballot through the mail or in person.

No excuse is needed to vote by mail.

Any registered voter may cast a ballot prior to Election Day without having to provide a reason for wanting to vote early. This ballot is cast by personal appearance at the office of the election authority or at an early voting center.

⬇️ Find an early voting location near you ⬇️

Early voting begins the 40th day before the election and ends the day before the election.

ID is not required to vote in Illinois. However, if you are registering to vote during Grace Period registration, you must provide two forms of ID. If you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and didn't provide a copy of your ID or your social security number, you must present ID (showing your name and address) at the polls. Valid forms of ID include:

• A current and valid photo identification

• Utility bill

• Bank statement

• Government check

• Paycheck

• Lease or contract for residence

• Student ID and mail addressed to voter’s residence

• Other government document

If you are required to show ID at the polls but do not bring it, you can vote a provisional ballot and submit additional information to the election authority later. The additional information must be received by the election authority no later than the close of business on the Tuesday following the election. The election authority has 14 days following the election to determine voter eligibility, and thus if the ballot should be counted. The provisional voter may find out if their ballot was counted, or if it was not counted, the reason that it was not counted. If the ballot is not counted, the provisional voter affidavit will be used as a registration application and the voter will be sent a voters registration ID card.