Already made up your mind on who to vote for and want to cast your ballot before Election Day on Nov. 3? If you're in Chicago, you can vote early in the general election at one location beginning Thursday or at one of 50 places, one in each ward, across the city starting later in October.
Officials say early voting provides more flexibility to cast your ballot, with more options for locations and times, spreading out the rush to hopefully avoid a crowded polling place on Election Day - particularly important as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
You can find all of the early voting locations across Chicago, as well as the dates and times they will be open, listed below. All Chicago residents can vote at any of the city's early voting locations.
While a government-issued photo ID is not required to vote, it can be helpful to bring one should any questions about registration, address, signature, or more arise during the voting process.
Anyone who is not yet registered to vote can do so online here through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 18, or in person at several locations like government offices and public libraries up to 27 days before the election.
Beginning Oct. 7, voters can register in person at any of the early voting locations using grace period registration but must be prepared to cast their ballots at the same time. Those wishing to do so are required to bring two forms of ID, one of which has the voter's current address.
If you requested to vote by mail and want to hand deliver your ballot to your local election authority, bypassing the U.S. Postal Service, you can do so at in person at any of the early voting locations in Chicago, which will have a mail-in ballot drop box on site.
If you requested to vote by mail but would prefer to vote in person, you can do so by surrendering your mail-in ballot to an election judge for cancellation at an early voting site or your polling place, then casting your ballot there in person. If you did not receive your mail-in ballot, you can also vote in person by signing an affidavit that you did not receive it or were informed by your election authority that they did not receive your ballot in the mail.
Not in Chicago? You can find all the early voting locations and times for suburban Cook County and 10 other surrounding counties here.
Early voting locations and times are as follows:
City of Chicago
All locations will have a mail-in ballot drop box on site.
Loop Super Site at Clark and Lake at 191 N. Clark St.
Oct. 1 to Nov. 2 on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All of the following locations are open from Oct. 14 to Nov. 2 on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.:
- Loop Super Site at Clark & Lake - 191 N. Clark St.
- Ward 1 - Goldblatts Building, 1615 W Chicago Ave.
- Ward 2 - Ogden Elementary School, 24 W Walton St.
- Ward 3 - Beethoven Elementary School, 25 W 47th St.
- Ward 4 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, 4314 S Cottage Grove
- Ward 5 - Ray Elementary School, 5631 S Kimbark Ave.
- Ward 6 - Deneen Elementary School, 7257 S State St.
- Ward 7 - Burnham Elementary School, 9928 S Crandon Ave.
- Ward 8 - Olive Harvey College, 10001 S Woodlawn Ave.
- Ward 9 - Curtis Elementary School, 32 E 115th St.
- Ward 10 - Sadlowski Elementary School, 3930 E 105th St.
- Ward 11 - Sheridan Elementary School, 533 W 27th St.
- Ward 12 - Kelly High School, 4136 S California Ave.
- Ward 13 - West Lawn Park, 4233 W 65th St.
- Ward 14 - Edwards Elementary School, 4815 S Karlov Ave.
- Ward 15 - Carson Elementary School, 5516 S Maplewood Ave.
- Ward 16 - Lindblom Park, 6054 S Damen Ave.
- Ward 17 - Southside High School, 7342 S Hoyne Ave.
- Ward 18 - Carroll Elementary School, 2929 W 83rd St.
- Ward 19 - Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W 111th St.
- Ward 20 - Fiske Elementary School, 6020 S. Langley Ave.
- Ward 21 - Turner - Drew Language Acad., 9300 S Princeton Ave.
- Ward 22 - Ortiz De Dominguez Elementary School, 3000 S Lawndale Ave.
- Ward 23 - Dore Elementary School, 7134 W 65th St.
- Ward 24 - Herzl Elementary School, 3711 W Douglas Blvd.
- Ward 25 - Jungman Elementary School, 1746 S Miller St.
- Ward 26 - Casals Elementary School 3501, W Potomac Ave.
- Ward 27 - Suder Elementary School, 2022 W Washington Blvd
- Ward 28 - Westside Learning Center, 4624 W Madison St.
- Ward 29 - Burbank Elementary School, 2035 N Mobile Ave.
- Ward 30 - Lorca Elementary School, 3231 N Springfield Ave.
- Ward 31 - Falconer Elementary School, 3020 N Lamon Ave.
- Ward 32 - Pulaski Elementary School, 2230 W McLean Ave.
- Ward 33 - Bateman Elementary School, 4220 N Richmond St.
- Ward 34 - Dunne Elementary School, 10845 S Union Ave.
- Ward 35 - NEIU El Centro, 3390 N Avondale Ave.
- Ward 36 - Hanson Park Elementary School, 5411 W Fullerton Ave.
- Ward 37 - McNair Elementary School, 4820 W Walton St.
- Ward 38 - Hiawatha Park, 8029 W Forest Preserve Dr.
- Ward 39 - Sauganash Elementary School, 6040 N Kilpatrick Ave.
- Ward 40 - Mather High School, 5835 N Lincoln Ave.
- Ward 41 - Oriole Park Elementary School, 5424 N Oketo Ave.
- Ward 42 - Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St.
- Ward 43 - Lincoln Park High School, 2001 N Orchard St.
- Ward 44 - Inter American Elementary School, 851 W Waveland Ave.
- Ward 45 - Hitch Elementary School, 5625 N McVicker Ave.
- Ward 46 - Truman College, 1145 W Wilson Ave
- Ward 47 - Welles Park, 2333 W Sunnyside Ave.
- Ward 48 - Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway
- Ward 49 - New Field Elementary School, 1707 W Morse Ave.
- Ward 50 - Warren Park, 6601 N Western Ave.
