Illinois and Chicago Voting Information - General Election 2008
Check your registration for Chicago residents and suburban Cook County residents online. Everyone else, call your county clerk - their number can be found here.
Chicago residents: if your status is ‘Inactive’ call 312.269.7936 to resolve the issue and be prepared to bring your driver’s license to the polling place.
Illinois registration continues through October 7th. You can download, print out and mail in your registration form here.
You can also register in person at various city, county and state offices - including the Secretary of State’s office if you’re renewing your license. Public schools and libraries also can provide these services.
To register in person, you need two forms of ID, one of which must have your current address. To register, by mail you will need your driver’s license or State ID card number. Failing that you need either the last four digits of your SSN and photo ID or a utility bill, check, etc. that shows your current address.
Grace Period Registration continues through October 21st. But you have to visit one of six Cook County offices. (Different in other areas, obviously…)
Early Voting - October 13-30 - There are fifty locations in Chicago (for Chicago residents) and forty-four in suburban Cook. You may vote at any of the locations, respectively. Early voting locations places are open 9-5, Monday through Saturday (including Columbus Day, 13 October). You must bring a state-issued ID to vote early.
Voting on Election Day: Tuesday, November 4 - Polls are open from 6am until 7pm. If you vote on election day, you must vote at your polling place. It listed on your voter card or you can check your polling place by checking your registration online (Chicago).
If you are in line at 7pm, you must be allowed to vote. Do not be turned away. If your workday spans the entirety of open polling times, your employer must give you two hours off to vote.
Various Chicago voting nonsense: if you have voted in your polling place before and are in the signature book (a white slip) - you are not required to show ID. It’s always a good thing to bring along in case of a canvas challenge, but - as a voter - you are allowed to speak to other voters and to question a judge who asks for ID from a voter in the book with a white slip.
While we’re talking about the book - this is the proper order of things at the polling place.
- Your give your name and your application should be located in the book.
- You sign your application.
- It is checked against your signature in the book (white slips).
- Your application is then removed, given to you and you exchange it for your ballot.
You should NOT be given your application before your signature is checked. You should NOT have to ‘check in’ with a partisan pollwatcher beforehand. Partisan pollwatchers should NOT be sitting at the table with election judges. (I’m looking at you, precinct in the Hamlin Park gym in 2004…)
And remember - no matter how much your precinct captain insists - you’re only allowed to vote once. One time.
Report any and all irregularities to the Board of Elections (312.269.7900/312-269-7867).
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