Chicago residents can now head to cast their ballots in the upcoming presidential election.
While voters in other parts of Illinois have already started voting early, some at record levels, early voting opens in the city Thursday, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.
Chicago voters can cast ballots beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday at two locations. The board’s Voting Supersite, open to residents of all 50 of the city’s wards, will open at 191 North Clark Street on Thursday, as will the board’s office at 69 West Washington, according to officials.
Beginning Oct. 21, early voting locations will open in all 50 of the city’s wards, with a full list available on the Board of Elections’ website.
According to projections released by CBOE, nearly 50,000 voters have registered since June, with the biggest gains seen among those between the ages of 18 and 35.
Officials with the board believe that 20-to-30% of voters will cast early ballots in the election, reflecting trends that have emerged in the last two election cycles.
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With a presidential election on the ballot, city officials expect higher turnout, with 73.3% of voters casting ballots in the 2020 election.
Suburban Cook County residents will have to wait a few more days for early voting to begin, with balloting opening on Oct. 9 at all five circuit courthouses in the county, as well as the County Clerk’s Office at 69 West Washington Street.
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For a full list of early voting locations and times across the Chicago area, click here.
Here's what to know as you prepare to vote:
How to register to vote in Illinois
Multiple avenues exist for voters to register in Illinois, starting with automatic voter registration, available at Secretary of State’s Office locations and other public facilities in the state.
Voters can also register to vote via the mail by printing out a form and returning it to their local county clerk’s office, or can deliver the form in-person to those offices.
The form to do so can be found here. The deadline for this type of voter registration is 28 days prior to the election, which will fall on Oct. 8, 2024.
Voters can register online via the State Board of Elections’ website, with a deadline of Oct. 20 for that type of registration.
Finally, voters can register during a grace period prior to and including Election Day, going to their local county clerk’s office or designated polling places, with proper identification required. Voters registering in this fashion will be required to submit ballots on the same day that they register.
How to vote in Illinois
Illinois voters can of course vote on Nov. 5 in the general election, but there are multiple other ways to cast ballots in the state.
The first one available to voters will be early voting. Most counties permit early voting at local county clerks’ offices, with additional sites opening throughout the election cycle.
Voters can also cast ballots via the mail. Applications to do so can be found on the state Board of Elections’ website, and must be returned no later than five days prior to the election.
Overseas and military voting are also available for Illinois residents who won’t be in the country on Election Day, with a full manual available on the Board of Elections’ website.
A full rundown of voting options can be found here.
How to vote by mail in Illinois
Illinois residents who are interested in voting by mail can do so long as they are registered to vote, according to state law.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is five days before the election, or Oct. 31, 2024. Those ballots must then be postmarked no later than Election Day on Nov. 5, or dropped into a designated dropbox by the end of the day on Election Day.
Voters also can still choose to vote in-person, with specific steps laid out to do so on the Board of Elections' website.
Full information on how to register to vote by mail, and other assorted information about policies enshrined in state law, can be found on the NBC Chicago app.
Who’s on the ballot in Illinois?
The presidential election will appear at the top of the ticket, but voters throughout the state will also choose their state representatives, and in some cases their state senators, and voters in Chicago will even elect a school board for the first time.
Illinois is taking an election cycle off from voting in U.S. Senate races, with Sens. Dick Durbin up for re-election in 2026 and Tammy Duckworth in 2028.
However, state voters will be tasked with voting for president, with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. all on the ballot for that office.
In addition to the presidential race, all 17 of Illinois’ seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot, as will all of the state’s House seats and a third of the state’s Senate seats.
There will also be three advisory questions on the ballot at the statewide level, along with referendums in numerous communities and counties.
Finally, there will be a limited number of races at the municipal and county levels in the 2024 general election.
Voters can check for candidates in various offices via the state Board of Elections’ website.
