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Illinois
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You’ve chosen to vote in ILLINOIS!


You’ve chosen to vote in ILLINOIS!

⓪ What you will need

① Get registered and request a vote-by-mail ballot, both online

② Request your vote-by-mail ballot

③ What happens next?

More information

FAQ and troubleshooting for Illinois issues

Where should I have my vote-by-mail ballot sent?

I don't have a valid Illinois Driver’s License/State ID or SSN

The address on my IL State ID is incorrect/out of date

The name on my IL State ID is incorrect (or I’ve changed my name since registering to vote)

I need to print/mail a paper form but do not have access to a printer

About this page/project

⓪ What you will need

① Get registered and request a vote-by-mail ballot, both online

If you have an Illinois Driver’s License/State ID, you can register to vote and request a vote-by-mail ballot, both online at the same time.  You can check online if you are already registered.  

>>>What if I'm registered somewhere else?<<<

Do this all at once at the Illinois online voter registration page (or if you don't have an IL Driver's License/State ID see register by mail below)

NOTE: If you are already registered, when asked you should choose "Change your current registration address."  Then you will just re-enter your current address as your new address. You have to do it this way because there is not yet an option for "I have no change of address; I just want to request my vote-by-mail ballot."

You can request a vote-by-mail ballot as you complete the online voter registration form.  Be sure to complete all the pages until you reach the page that says "The information you provided SUCCESSFULLY MATCHED. Your application is now being processed".  You will receive an email confirmation, too.

As an alternative, if you are already registered and live in Cook County including Chicago. there is a quicker online request for vote-by-mail ballot here: https://mailvoting.cookcountyclerkil.gov/

Register by mail (only if you can’t register online), by completing a Voter Registration Application and printing and mailing it to your local elections authority together in the same envelope with your vote-by-mail ballot request in Section ②.

Signatures, beware!   The signature on your vote-by-mail ballot request (and on your voted ballot) will be compared to your registration signature or your driver’s license signature.  Make them match. Signing with a mouse may cause a problem, so it may be better to sign on paper & mail. Don’t have a printer? Email us!

Deadlines. Register and request your vote-by-mail ballot as soon as possible; things take time. Here are the registration deadlines, and the vote-by-mail deadlines.

Common Issues:

If you do not receive a notice within two (2) weeks of mailing or delivering this application, call your County Clerk or Board of Election Commissioners.

② Request your vote-by-mail ballot

The easiest way to request a vote-by-mail ballot is online, as you register or re-register - see Section ① above. If you have an Illinois Drivers License/State ID, we recommend you do that.

Any registered voter of the state of Illinois may request a vote by mail ballot without providing a reason. All vote by mail requests must be received by your local election authority no later than 10/29/2020.

Many local election authorities in Illinois (though not all!) will allow you to submit a vote by mail application online via their county elections website. However, if this service is not available in your county, you must fill out a PDF/paper application.

Prefer to vote in-person? That may be a problem this year, and we recommend requesting a vote-by-mail ballot even if you want to vote in-person. You can take your vote-by-mail ballot to your polling place (during early voting or on election day) where they will void it and let you vote in-person. Also, if you don't receive your vote-by-mail ballot in time, you can still go to the polls in-person.

How to request an absentee ballot:

  1. Print neatly on the  Application for Absentee Ballot (you will be redirected to the form after selecting your county) in black or blue pen (including your signature, matching your registration signature)

  1. Mail the completed application (along with your voter registration application from Section ①, if necessary) to the address provided at the bottom of the application (or look up the address of your election authority here)

Mailing address - send my ballot where?  Given the uncertainty of where you may be living due to COVID, don't have your vote-by-mail ballot sent to your campus housing address. If it arrives there and the residence hall is closed, nobody will be able to retrieve it. Instead, send to yourself at the address of a friend or relative with a stable address. They can mail it to you wherever you are. However ballots can't be "forwarded"; they have to be re-mailed in an outer envelope with new stamps. 

Common Issues:

 What happens next?

More information

FAQ and troubleshooting for Illinois issues

 (See also the general FAQ for non-state specific questions)

Where should I have my vote-by-mail ballot sent?

Given the uncertainty of where you may be living due to COVID, instead of having your vote-by-mail ballot sent to your campus address you may want to have it sent to a friend or relative's home. They can get it to you wherever you are. Ballots can't be "forwarded"; they have to be re-mailed in an outer envelope.

I don't have a valid Illinois Driver’s License/State ID or SSN

If you do not have a valid IL State ID/Driver’s License or SSN, fill out the Illinois Voter Registration Application and then print and mail it to the address of your local election authority (determined by the county you are registered to vote in) along with the necessary alternative forms of identification/proof of residence.

The address on my IL State ID is incorrect/out of date

The address on your ID doesn’t have to be current. However, you do need to update your place of residence with the State Board of Elections! If you are registering to vote for the first time and your ID does not match your current home address, you will need to submit a valid proof of residence document along with a photocopy of your ID.

To update your residence in IL, you must re-register to vote following the steps in Section ① of this document (either online or with the paper form).

The name on my IL State ID is incorrect (or I’ve changed my name since registering to vote)

If you changed your name you must re-register to vote following the steps in Section ① of this document.

I need to print/mail a paper form but do not have access to a printer

Not a problem! Please email us at vote@colum.edu with all the documents and/or proof of residence and identification requirements you need printed and we’ll print them and mail them to you.

About this page/project