It’s the last day to request a mail-in ballot for the November election in Illinois
If you’re hoping to vote by mail in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, midterm in Illinois, Thursday is the final day to request your ballot electronically or by post.
The deadline for ballot requests across the state is Nov. 3.
You do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Illinois, and all registered voters are eligible.
As of Oct. 26, almost 820,000 voters had requested a mail-in ballot for the general election, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
In the June 28 primary, 15.34% of votes were cast by mail – nearly 270,000 individuals across the state. That’s down from 2020, a presidential election year when more than 2 million Illinois voters, or 33.4%, used the method amid the coronavirus pandemic, but still evidences the growing popularity of mail-in voting in recent years.
Here’s what to know about voting by mail in Illinois.
How do I request a mail-in ballot in Illinois?
Registered voters can use the Illinois State Board Elections’ voting by mail application portal to request their mail-in ballot. You can visit the site, select your jurisdiction and proceed to the request form for your county or fill out the PDF from the Illinois SBE.
St. Clair County voters can access the jurisdiction’s form directly through the county website.
How do I return my mail-in ballot?
Once you submit your request, your elections authority will mail the ballot to your address. You must fill it out completely, following the instructions.
To return your voted ballot, you can use the U.S. Postal Service, hand deliver it to your election office or return it to the drop box in your county. The Illinois SBE has an online portal for users to search for their drop box location.
If you need someone else to deliver your ballot on your behalf, they must fill out an affidavit.
You cannot return your mail-in ballot to a polling place or early voting location in Illinois.
“Voters attempting to do so will be offered the option of surrendering their mail ballot and voting in person instead,” according to the state’s mail-in voting factsheet.
What is the deadline to return my mail-in ballot in Illinois for the Nov. 8 election?
If you mail your ballot back, it must be postmarked by Election Day and received by your county by Nov. 22.
The deadline to return your mail-in ballot to a drop box is 7 p.m. Election Day.
How can I track my mail-in ballot in Illinois?
Some Illinois counties have tools online that allow voters to track their ballot. Check your county website or call your election authority directly to ensure your ballot was received.