Voter and Election Information

Explore the resources on this page to learn how to register to vote, where and when to cast your ballot, which candidates are running, and other key election details.

Key Resources

Illinois State Board of Elections

Cook County Election Department
Find information on who’s running, voter registration, absentee voting, and finding your polling place.

Voter Registration

To Vote in Illinois

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• You must be at least 17 years old on or before the date of the Primary Election and turn 18 on or before the date of the General or Consolidated Election (16 year olds may preregister to vote).
• You must live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.
• You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.
• You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

Check Your Registration Status

Verify your registration with the Illinois Board of Elections Registration Lookup Tool. If you’ve moved or changed your name since your last registration, you’ll need to re-register to vote.

In person: at least 28 days before election day

Register to vote at Niles Village Hall during regular hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am–5 pm), with the Niles Township Clerk, or at any of the Cook County Clerk’s six offices or an Illinois Secretary of State driver’s license facility.

Online: at least 16 days before election day

If you have an Illinois driver’s license or state ID, you can register online through the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

Mail: must be postmarked at least 28 days before election day

Download a mail-in registration form from the Cook County Clerk’s website. Note that this differs from requesting a mail-in ballot.

Grace period registration: up to and including election day

Register (and vote) in person at your local elections office during the “grace period,” which begins 27 days before election day and ends on election day.

Early Voting extends the registration period by allowing voters to register and vote until the Monday before an election. Guidelines limit when and where Early Voting registrants can vote – during the Early Voting period, voters must register and vote in person at one of the Clerk’s designated Early Voting locations.

Individuals wishing to vote during the Early Voting must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address. Registrants must immediately cast their ballot after registering to vote.

On the Ballot

Ballot Measures

Illinois Assisted Reproductive Healthcare Advisory Question (2024)
Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?

Illinois Income Tax Advisory Question (2024)
Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating the funds raised to property tax relief?

Illinois Penalties for Candidate Interference with Election Worker’s Duties Advisory Question (2024)
Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?

Candidates

The inclusion of links to political parties or campaign sites is solely for informational purposes and should not be seen as an endorsement.

United States President

Democratic Party Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz Campaign Website

Republican Party Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance Campaign Website

United States House of Representatives

Democratic Party Jan Schakowsky Campaign Website

Republican Party Seth Cohen Campaign Website

Cook County Offices

Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Democratic Party Mariyana Spyropoulos Campaign Website	Republican Party Lupe Aguirre No Campaign Website as of 10/3/24	Libertarian Party Michael Murphy Campaign Website

Cook County State’s Attorney
Democratic Party Eileen O’Neill Burke Campaign Website	Republican Party Robert W. Fioretti Campaign Website	Libertarian Party Andrew Charles Kopinski No Campaign Website as of 10/3/24

Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District – 6 Year Term (Vote for 3)
Democratic Party Kari K. Steele Campaign Website	Republican Party Claire Connelly Campaign Website	Green Party Toneal M. Jackson No Campaign Website as of 10/3/24
Democratic Party Marcelino Garcia Campaign Website	Republican Party Richard F. Dale No Campaign Website as of 10/3/24
Democratic Party Sharon Waller Campaign Website	Republican Party Brendan Ehlers No Campaign Website as of 10/3/24

Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District – 2 Year Term (Vote for 1)
Democratic Party Precious Brady-Davis Campaign Website	Republican Party R. Cary Capparelli Campaign Website

Check Your Judges

Your ballot will contain a number of judicial candidates or retentions to vote on. These websites can be helpful in vetting candidates:

• Illinois State Bar Association

• Chicago Bar Association

• Chicago Council of Lawyers

Researching Your Ballot

Ballotpedia

View the elections you will be voting in with this sample ballot lookup tool.

Here’s how it works:

• Enter your address
• Select an upcoming election date, if there is more than one coming up in your area.
• View the list of candidates that will be on your ballot. Ballotpedia includes comprehensive election information for the largest 100 cities by population, as well as all state legislative, statewide, and congressional races across the nation.
• Click on your candidates to read their biography, view past election results, read their campaign themes and responses to Ballotopeida’s candidate survey, and more.

BallotReady
A nonpartisan site that allows you to see exactly what will be on your ballot and help you research the candidates and referendums on there.

TurboVote
An American non-profit website focused on increasing voter turnout with information on election issues and voter registration resources. Developed by the nonpartisan group Democracy Works.

General Nonpartisan Resources

Find non-partisan, factual information on the candidates, and where they stand on the most important issues.

AllSides
Provides the same story from the Center, from the Left, and from the Right to give readers the full picture.

C-Span
A private, nonprofit company that provides live access to Congressional proceedings without editing, commentary, or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points of view.

Fact Check
A nonpartisan, nonprofit site that monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.

Politifact
A fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of political statements through government reports, academic studies, and other original documentation.

Vote Smart
Provides free, factual, unbiased information to stay informed about the voting records, special group endorsements, and campaign funding of elected officials and candidates. Not sure who to vote for? Use their VoteEasy tool to find the candidate that most closely matches your opinions.