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Election Day is less than one week away, and Illinois voters have a variety of ways that they can choose to cast their ballots in what is shaping up to be an historic vote.
Whether by-mail or in-person, Illinois voters can not only choose to cast their ballots early, but they can also register to vote up until Election Day through "grace period" registration.
Here's what you need to know about casting your ballots this November.
Where Can I Vote on Nov. 8?
If you are choosing to vote on Election Day itself, but are unsure of where your polling place is, then you have several options.
All voters in the state are mailed cards by their county clerk’s office prior to the election, and their polling place is usually located on the cards.
If you want to verify your polling place, then the State Board of Elections operates a digital tool to allow you to do so.
Voters simply enter their ZIP code into the finder, then submit their address, and the lookup tool will find your current polling place.
Voters will also be given options if they want to vote early elsewhere, and can also receive information on “grace period registration,” which allows Illinois voters to register to vote up until the end of Election Day.
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Where Can I Vote Early?
With one week to go until Election Day, authorities across the Chicago area have opened additional early voting sites for those seeking to cast ballots prior to Nov. 8.
For most of the Chicago area, nearly every county has multiple sites for voters to choose from, where they can cast ballots in-person.
Rules do vary by site, with many accepting all eligible voters and grace-period voters who need to update their registration or to register to vote for the first time.
Here’s basic information for every county in the area, and links to all appropriate county clerks’ offices.
Chicago
Early voting sites are already open at the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite, located at 191 North Clark Street, and at the board’s office at 69 West Washington.
Beginning Oct. 24, all 50 wards will also open early voting sites. A full list of those sites, and more information on early voting, can be found on the CBOE website.
On Friday, the Board of Elections announced that "due to construction and additional emergency factors" the voting site in the 5th Ward, which was located at Jackson Park, would move to the South Side YMCA, located at 6330 S. Stony Island Ave. The site is slated to open Monday.
"Recent construction at Jackson Park has made the entrance to the building and all surrounding sidewalks inaccessible to voters," the CBOE said. "The South Side YMCA is located approximately one block away from Jackson Park."
Cook County
Suburban voters will be eligible to cast early ballots at dozens of locations across the county beginning on Oct. 24.
Hours vary by location, but all the pertinent information can be found on the Cook County Clerk’s Office website.
DeKalb County
Four additional early voting sites will open in DeKalb County beginning on Oct. 24, according to officials. Those include:
DeKalb Township Building (2323 South 4th Street, DeKalb)
Kingston Friendship Center (120 Main Street, Kingston)
Northern Illinois University – Holmes Student Center (DeKalb)
Sandwich Library (925 South Main Street, Sandwich)
Hours vary at each of the sites, and more information can be found on the county clerk’s website.
Early voting is still available at the Legislative Center in the Gathertorium, located in Sycamore.
Top races, voting FAQ and more. Get everything you need before Election Day with our Voters Guide.
DuPage County
Officials in DuPage County say that there will be six temporary early voting sites that will open on Oct. 24 and remain open through Nov. 5:
Burr Ridge Police Department (7700 County Line Road, Burr Ridge)
College of DuPage – IRC Building (425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn)
Downers Grove Park District – Lincoln Center (935 Maple Avenue, Downers Grove)
Glen Ellyn Civic Center (9535 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn)
Itasca Park District – Water Park (100 North Catalpa Street, Itasca)
Woodridge Park District Community Center (2600 Center Drive, Woodridge)
An additional 16 permanent sites will also open, and will remain open through the day before Election Day. More information on those sites, and hours for all early voting sites, can be found on the county clerk’s website.
Kane County
The county clerk’s office will open dozens of early and grace-period voting locations on Oct. 24, and will also conduct a series of “mobile voting location” outreach efforts beginning on that date.
You can find information on voting hours and locations on the county clerk’s website.
Kankakee County
Kankakee County voters can still visit the county clerk’s office in downtown Kankakee to cast early ballots, and two additional sites will also open prior to the election:
Bourbonnais Municipal Community Building (700 Main Street Northwest, Bourbonnais)
Leo Hassett Community Building (211 North Main Street, Manteno)
Voting will open in Manteno on Oct. 27, and voting will begin on Oct. 31 in Bourbonnais, according to officials. More information on voting hours can be found on the county clerk’s website.
2022 Illinois Election Headlines
Kendall County
Voters can cast ballots at the Kendall County Office Building, and two additional sites will open beginning on Oct. 24:
Oswego Library – Montgomery Campus (1111 Reading Drive, Montgomery)
Oswego Village Hall (100 Parkers Mill, Oswego)
More information on hours can be found on the county clerk’s website.
Lake County
A total of 18 sites across Lake County will begin offering early voting on Oct. 24. Most of the sites will remain open through Nov. 6, the Sunday prior to Election Day, but sites in Ingleside, Waukegan, Mundelein and North Chicago will also be open on Monday, Nov. 7.
For a full list of sites and more information on hours, visit the county clerk’s website.
LaSalle County
Early voting remains open at the LaSalle County Governmental Center, located at 707 East Etna Road in Ottawa, through Nov. 7.
More information on voting hours can be found on the county clerk’s website.
McHenry County
Beginning Oct. 24, early voting will open at the following locations:
Algonquin Library (2600 Harnish Drive, Algonquin)
Algonquin Township Office (3702 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake)
Cary Area Library (1606 Three Oaks Road, Cary)
Dunham Township Office (107 Airport Road, Harvard)
Huntley Park District (12015 Mill Street, Huntley)
Lake in the Hills Village Hall (600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills)
Marengo City Hall (132 East Prairie Street, Marengo)
McHenry City Hall (333 South Green Street)
McHenry County Administration Building (667 Ware Road, Woodstock)
McHenry Township Office (3703 North Richmond Road, Johnsburg)
Nunda Township Office (3510 Bay Road, Crystal Lake)
Hours do vary by location, and more information can be found on the county clerk’s website.
Will County
Beginning Oct. 24, Will County residents can visit one of 17 different locations to cast votes, including at the County Clerk’s Office, Naperville City Hall, the Joliet Park District, and more.
In addition, residents in Braidwood, Channahon, Elwood, Frankfort, Manhattan, Mokena, Monee, Romeoville and Troy Township can all cast ballots as well in their respective communities.
For a full list of locations and information, visit the Will County Clerk’s Office’s website.