Election administration in Illinois
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Illinois:
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Illinois, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Voter registration
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Illinois, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days prior to election day, and at least 18 years old by election day. A 17-year-old may vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 years old at the subsequent general election. Preregistration is available starting at age 16.[3][4]
Regular registration closes during the period beginning 27 days prior to an election and ending two days after the election. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. Grace period registration is available in person through election day at certain locations.[3]
Prospective voters can register online, by mail, or at any of the following locations:[5]
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Two forms of identification are required to register in person, one of which must display the voter's current address.[3]
Automatic registration
Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Illinois has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Illinois allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Illinois law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Illinois does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
The “Registration Lookup” page, run by the Illinois Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Early and absentee voting policy
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Illinois permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Illinois. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[7]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election office between 90 and five days prior to the election if sent by mail. If applied for in person, it must be received no later than the day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked no later than midnight the night before election and received no later than 14 days after the election.[7]
Under legislation signed into law in 2021, voters can sign on to a permanent vote-by-mail list, thereafter receiving official vote-by-mail ballots automatically for all subsequent elections.[8]
Returning absentee ballots
Illinois voters can return their absentee ballot in person or by mail to the city or county clerk in charge of elections in their jurisdiction. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than election day. Ballots submitted in person must be returned by the time the polls close on election day. "A person authorized by the voter may return an absentee ballot," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.[7][9]
Signature requirements and cure provisions
Absentee ballots in Illinois include a return envelope printed with a certification that must be signed by the voter in order for the ballot to be counted. Illinois law includes a cure provision allowing voters to correct an issue with their absentee ballot. When an election judge rejects an absentee ballot because of a signature discrepancy or for some other reason (e.g., an improperly sealed return envelope), election officials are required to notify the voter by mail within two days of the rejection. The voter has until 14 days after the day of the election to contact local election authorities and resolve the issue.[7]
Was your absentee ballot counted?
Some city and county clerks in Illinois provide search tools that voters in their jurisdictions can use to check the status of their absentee ballot. Check the website of your municipal clerk for more information.
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in Illinois
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.
First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of their social security number, or other form of ID are required to present identification showing their name and address before voting.
The following list of accepted ID was current as of November 2022. Click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.
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Background
As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[11][12]
Provisional balloting for voters without ID
Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in Illinois are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances. [13]
1) If the "[v]oter’s name does not appear on the official list of registered voters eligible voters for the precinct in which the person seeks to vote and the person has refused to register," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
2) If the "voter’s voting status has been challenged and a majority of the judges uphold the challenge," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
3) If the "voter did not provide identification when registering by mail and still cannot provide ID on Election Day," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
4) If "[a] court order extends the time for closing the polls, and the voter votes during this extended time period," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
5) If the "voter's name appears on the list of voters who voted during the early voting period, but the voter claims not to have voted during the early voting period," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
6) If the "voter admits receiving a vote by mail ballot, but failed to return it to the election authority (or election judges)," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
7) If the "voter attempted to register to vote on Election Day, but failed to provide the necessary documentation," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, the "election authority has 14 days (after the election) to determine voter eligibility, and thus if the ballot should be counted."[13]
A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:[14]
- If "[i]nformation available to the election authority from five specifically-identified sources opposes registration status. If a conflict exists among the information available, the election authority shall make a determination by a totality of the circumstances;"
- If "[t]he affidavit executed by the voter fails to contain the voter’s first and last name, house number and street name and signature or mark;"
- If the voter voted by mail; or
- If the "voter does not provide the election authority with the necessary registration documentation (ID) within 7 days of the election."
Was your provisional ballot counted?
Visit the office of the Illinois State Board of Elections Office Provisional Ballot Search tool to check the status of your provisional ballot.
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Illinois
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Illinois uses an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party, but they do have to choose, publicly, which party's ballot they will vote on at the primary election.[15][16][17][18]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
In Illinois, employees must be allotted two hours for voting if they have applied for it. Employers may specify when employees take this time off, "...except that the employer must permit a 2-hour absence during working hours if the employee's working hours begin less than 2 hours after the opening of the polls and end less than 2 hours before the closing of the polls," according to Illinois law. State law says the following:[19]
| “ | Any person entitled to vote at a general or special election or at any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in this State, shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed, for a period of 2 hours between the time of opening and closing the polls; and such voter shall not because of so absenting himself be liable to any penalty; Provided, however, that application for such leave of absence shall be made prior to the day of election. The employer may specify the hours during which said employee may absent himself as aforesaid, except that the employer must permit a 2-hour absence during working hours if the employee's working hours begin less than 2 hours after the opening of the polls and end less than 2 hours before the closing of the polls. No person or corporation shall refuse to an employee the privilege hereby conferred, nor shall subject an employee to a penalty, including a reduction in compensation due to an absence under this Section, because of the exercise of such privilege, nor shall directly or indirectly violate the provisions of this Section.[19][6] | ” |
As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
In Illinois, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights at the completion of their prison or jail sentence, as specified by Article III, Section 2 of the Illinois State Constitution.
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[20]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[21] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[22]
When names can be removed from the voter list
Illinois law authorizes state and local election authorities to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[23]
- Remains an "inactive voter" for two consecutive general federal elections,
- Requests in writing to be removed from the registration list,
- Becomes incarcerated in a local, state, or federal correctional facility by reason of conviction, or
- Dies.
Inactive voter list rules
Voters who do not respond to confirmation of address notices are defined as "inactive voters," according to Illinois law. Election authorities are required to distribute lists of inactive voters to voting precincts at each election. If a voter remains in inactive status through two general elections–by not voting or updating their registration status–their registration is to be canceled.[24]
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."[25]
By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[26]
As of April 2023, Illinois was participating in the ERIC program.
Post-election auditing
Illinois state law requires post-election audits. The audit is conducted by county election officials and is overseen by officials from the Illinois State Board of Elections. The audit is conducted on "5% of precincts and 5% of voting devices used in early voting," where in-precinct counting equipment is used. The Illinois State Board of Elections also randomly selects precincts to audit. "If any error is detected, the cause shall be determined and corrected, and an errorless count shall be made prior to the official canvass. If an errorless count can’t be conducted, a written report explaining the errors is made available for public inspection." The audit must be completed before the canvass.[27]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[20][28]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.[29]
Noteworthy events
2021
On June 17, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) signed SB825 into law, enacting a series of changes to the state's election administration procedures, including (but not limited to) the following:[8][30]
- Rescheduled the 2022 statewide primary election to June 28, 2022.
- Provided that, in a county with a population of less than 3,000,000, the sheriff may establish a temporary branch polling place at the county jail.
- Provided that voters can sign on to a permanent vote-by-mail list, thereafter receiving official vote-by-mail ballots automatically for all subsequent elections.
- Provided that election authorities can establish curbside voting locations during the early voting period or on Election Day.
- Provided that election authorities must establish "one location to be located at an office of the election authority or in the largest municipality within its jurisdiction where all voters in its jurisdiction are allowed to vote on Election Day during polling place hours, regardless of the precinct in which they are registered."
SB825 was introduced in the Illinois State Senate on February 25, 2021. On May 31, 2021, the Illinois House of Representatives approved the final version of SB825 by a vote of 72-46. The Senate followed suit that same day, approving the bill by a vote of 41-18.[8]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Illinois.
- Illinois Governor Recall Amendment (2010)
- Illinois Voting Requirement Amendment (1988)
- Illinois Direct Election of United States Senators Question (1902)
- Illinois Primary Election Law (1904)
- Illinois Voters' Veto Question (1904)
- Illinois Corrupt Practices Act (1910)
- Illinois Primary Law Amendment Question (1912)
- Illinois Short Ballot Commission Question (1912)
- Illinois Initiative and Referendum Question (1919)
- Illinois Gateway Amendment (1919)
- Illinois Reduce Size of House of Representatives and Eliminate Cumulative Voting Initiative (1980)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Illinois. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in Illinois, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Illinois. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Illinois." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Illinois
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Illinois' 18 United States Representatives and 177 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[31][32][33][34]
Illinois was apportioned 17 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, 1 fewer than it received after the 2010 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
The Illinois General Assembly is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Both chambers of the state legislature must approve a redistricting plan. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[35]
In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a legislative redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The majority and minority leaders of each chamber must appoint two members each to the commission (one legislator and one general citizen). Of the eight commission members, no more than four may belong to the same political party. In the event that these eight members cannot approve a plan, the Illinois Supreme Court must select two individuals (from different political parties) as potential tiebreakers. The secretary of state must then appoint one of these individuals to the backup commission to break the tie.[35]
The Illinois Constitution requires that state legislative districts be "contiguous and reasonably compact." There are no such requirements in place for the state's congressional districts.[35]
State law also mandates the establishment of state legislative districts "that allow racial or language minority communities to elect--or influence the election of--the candidates of their choice, even if no comparable district would be required by the federal Voting Rights Act."[35]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Illinois can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Illinois Election Authorities
Illinois State Board of Elections
- 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd.
- Springfield, Illinois 62704
- Telephone: 217-782-4141
- Email: webmaster@elections.il.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Telephone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voting in Illinois
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Illinois
- Redistricting in Illinois
Elections in Illinois
- Illinois elections, 2023
- Illinois elections, 2022
- Illinois elections, 2021
- Illinois elections, 2020
- Illinois elections, 2019
- Illinois elections, 2018
- Illinois elections, 2017
- Illinois elections, 2016
- Illinois elections, 2015
- Illinois elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ WQAD 8, "All you need to know about Tuesday's Illinois primary," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Illinois State Board of Elections, "Registering to Vote in Illinois," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia Legislation Tracker, "Illinois SB2123," accessed August 14, 2023
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5, Article 19. Voting by Mail," accessed September 24, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "mail" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "mail" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Illinois General Assembly, "Bill Status of SB0825," accessed July 6, 2021
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Returning Absentee Ballots," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Illinois Voter Information," June 16, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," March 9, 2023
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Illinois Office of Elections, "Provisional Voting," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ Illinois Courts Student Learning Center, "Illinois Government Lesson 5 - Voting in Illinois," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Illinois General Assembly, "Illinois Compiled Statutes," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed Aprl 4, 2023
- ↑ Illinois Administrative Code, "216.50," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ Illinois Administrative Code, "216.20 and 216.40," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ ERIC, "Home," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed August 7, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed April 11, 2023
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed August 15, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in June 2023, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ The Hill, "Illinois governor signs law expanding curbside voting, permanent vote by mail," June 18, 2021
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 All About Redistricting, "Illinois," accessed April 16, 2015
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