From schools to banks to post offices and more: what's actually open and closed on Election Day in Illinois?
Election Day is an official state holiday for the 2024 election season, which does mean closures for certain things. That's not the case for every state, however, as the day is not considered a federal holiday.
Still, while many businesses will still remain open, under Illinois law, workers are permitted two hours of paid time off to cast ballots on Election Day. They can also cast ballots early via mail-in balloting, or via early voting, which is available at hundreds of locations around the state.
Here's a look at what to expect:
Schools
Children in K-12 public schools will not be required to attend classes.
Illinois law states that any school that doesn’t have instruction on Election Day can be used by local authorities as a polling place.
Chicago Politics
Private schools are not included in the terms of the legislation, meaning that students in those institutions may still have class on Tuesday. Universities are also not included, with students in the University of Illinois system still having classes on Election Day.
Banks
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While some have tried to make Election Day a federal holiday in the past, they have not been successful thus far. As a result, many banks, federal facilities including courthouses, and most businesses will be open on Tuesday, according to officials.
DMVs
Secretary of State Driver Services locations will also be closed, but some public libraries may be open depending on location.
Courthouses and other public buildings
County and state courthouses will be closed on Election Day, according to officials, with trials resuming on the following day.
Federal courthouses will not be closed, with the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan continuing amid balloting on Tuesday. Jurors will be excused during the day in order to cast ballots, according to the judge in the case.
Post offices
Since Election Day is not a federal holiday, all post offices will be open and mail delivery will proceed as normal.
