City: Chicago, IL

Category: Relocation

Telephone: (312) 603-0900

Description: Because there are so many neighborhood-related issues, it’s valuable to have that local voting right so you can have a say in who your congresspeople are and, on an even more local scale, who your alderman is. As in any case, to be able to vote in Illinois-specific elections, you must be a US citizen, not convicted of an offense and in jail, be at least 18 years old on or before the next election, and not claim voting rights anywhere else.Typically, you must also have been living in your election precinct for at least 30 days before voting. However, there is a fairly new law that allows a grace period for registering and voting. This permits you to register to vote up to one week before an election. These grace-period registrations can take place only during limited days and hours at a Cook County Clerk’s office (there is one in downtown Chicago at 69 W. Washington St., 312-603-0900, and five in the suburbs); the Cook County Clerk’s website will tell you when you may do this. As with any in-person voter registration, you must show two forms of ID (no photo necessary, but at least one indicating your new address), and for this grace-period registration, you will then be required to vote on a touch-screen machine immediately after registering; in other words, you will vote that day instead of on Election Day. The easiest way to register to vote in Illinois is to get it done when you get your new driver’s license. You will be asked if you’d like to register to vote and if you do, you’ll receive an application form to sign. You’ll get a receipt, which you should keep until your official voter card arrives in the mail, and that’s that. You can also register through a mail-in application to the Cook County Clerk’s office. Registration forms are available on the Clerk’s website in English, Spanish, and Chinese or by calling the Clerk’s office. At any time, you may also register to vote at one of the Cook County Clerk’s six locations, as well as any village, city, or township clerk (a list is available on the Clerk’s website). Oftentimes, politically oriented organizations may set up booths to register voters as well.