Election Day in Chicago is here, with voters across the city heading to the polls. Here's a look at some essential resources to help you prepare for the big day —
WHEN IS CHICAGO'S ELECTION DAY?
Chicagoans will head to the polls on April 2 to vote in the runoff election for a new mayor, a new treasurer and in some cases, for their ward's City Council seat. Election law dictates that in races where no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote outright in the Feb. 26 election, voters have to cast their ballots once more in a runoff election between the top two candidates.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES FOR CHICAGO MAYOR?
Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle advanced from a field of 14 candidates - the largest number in Chicago history - running to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who sent shockwaves through the city when he announced in September that he would not seek a third term in office.
Know the Mayoral Candidates
Get to know the runoff candidates in Chicago's mayoral race.
Source: Chicago Board of Elections, NBC Chicago reporting
You can learn even more about Lightfoot and Preckwinkle here, and you can watch the two of them debate in the NBC 5/Telemundo Chicago candidate forum here.
Local
WHERE DO THEY STAND ON CERTAIN ISSUES?
To help cut through the campaign noise, we asked both candidates for mayor seven questions before the Feb. 26 election, in order to inform voters on who they are and where they stand on certain issues the city faces.
You can find both candidates' answers below, clicking each name to find their responses.
WHO'S ENDORSED?
If you're still undecided, it can be helpful to know who's backing whom. Click here for a breakdown of the mayoral candidates' endorsements.
HOW DID EACH WARD VOTE FOR MAYOR IN THE FIRST ROUND?
With so many candidates, and a relatively low turnout, the breakdown of how each area voted for mayor is complicated - and fascinating. You can enter your address below to find out how your ward voted, or click a ward on the map to see its breakdown.
Source: Chicago Board of Elections
Credit: Sam Hart/NBC
WHAT OTHER OFFICES ARE ON THE BALLOT?
There are 50 wards in Chicago, each represented on City Council by one alderman. All of those aldermanic seats were up for a four-year term on Feb. 26, with 15 of those races headed to runoffs.
Click here for a full list of the wards with runoff elections.
One other office (in addition to mayor) is also on ballots across all of Chicago: city treasurer, with Ameya Pawar and Melissa Conyears-Ervin both vying for the role.
WHAT ARE THE RACES TO WATCH?
With Emanuel stepping aside, and a number of challengers vying for aldermanic seats, City Council could soon look quite different. Here's a look at 10 big races happening across the city —
10 Races to Watch in Chicago’s Municipal Runoff Elections
SEE WHO'S ON YOUR BALLOT
Enter your address below to find out your ward, and all the candidates running to be your alderman.
Source: Chicago Board of Elections
Credit: Sam Hart/NBC
WHERE TO VOTE EARLY
If you want to avoid the rush and cast your ballot before Election Day, you have plenty of options. Click here for the full list of early voting sites across Chicago, as well as early voting hours for every day through April 1. You can vote at any of the early voting locations across the city, even if you don't live in that ward.
HOW TO FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE
If you prefer to cast your ballot on Election Day, you have just one option: your designated polling place. If you don't know where that is, enter your address below to find it —
You can also click here to search for your polling place (and make sure you're registered) through the Chicago Board of Elections' website.
WHAT TIME POLLS ARE OPEN
Polls open at 6 a.m. and will stay open through 7 p.m. But remember - if you are IN LINE when polls close, you can still vote! So if you're rushing to your polling place at the last minute, don't worry if you see a line - and don't let anyone try to dissuade you from casting your ballot.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING
While a government-issued photo ID is not required to vote under Illinois law, it can be helpful to bring one should any questions about registration, address, signature, or more arise during the voting process.
It's important to remember: you legally do not need any form of identification to cast your vote, unless you are registering for the first time or changing your registration.
NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE?
If you're not registered in Illinois but still want to vote, it's not too late! You can take advantage of grace period registration through Election Day. You simply have to bring two forms of identification, one with your current address, to your polling place and be prepared to vote at the same time.
SHOULD YOU TAKE A BALLOT SELFIE?
NO. In Illinois, ballot selfies are prohibited by state law. It's a felony to mark your ballot so another person can see how you voted, carrying a potential prison sentence of one to three years.
State election officials have said it's "unlikely" anyone would be prosecuted for a ballot selfie, but you should play it safe and take a picture of your "I Voted" sticker or pose next to the polling place sign instead.
HOW TO GET LIVE RESULTS
Live Election Day coverage will air on NBC 5 throughout the evening and at 10 p.m. You can also track up-to-the-minute race results live in the NBC Chicago app - where you can turn on notifications to get alerts on winners of the biggest races - and right here on NBCChicago.com.
