On November 8th, 2016, Illinois voters will cast their votes to elect candidates for local, state, and federal offices, which includes the election of the President of the United States.
On November 8th, Illinois voters will vote to ELECT candidates for:
President of the United States
United States Senator
Comptroller
Representatives in Congress — All 18 Districts
State Senators
(1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 50, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59)
Representatives in the General Assembly — All 118 Districts
Regional Superintendent of Schools
Trustee Levee and Sanitation District
Appellate Judge — 1st and 5th Appellate
Vacancies for Cook Circuit/Subcircuit Courts
Vacancies for Downstate Circuit/Subcircuit Courts
To view your specific ballot, and any additional races limited to your locale, please go here and select your county to be directed to your local election authority. There you find or request your specific ballot.
On November 8th, Illinois voters will be asked to vote YES or NO on the addition of a new Section 11 to Article IX of the Illinois Constitution. The following is an explanation of Section 11 from the State Board of Elections:
“The proposed amendment adds a new section to the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution. The proposed amendment provides that no moneys derived from taxes, fees, excises, or license taxes, relating to registration, titles, operation, or use of vehicles or public highways, roads, streets, bridges, mass transit, intercity passenger rail, ports, or airports, or motor fuels, including bond proceeds, shall be expended for other than costs of administering laws related to vehicles and transportation, costs for construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair, and betterment of public highways, roads, streets, bridges, mass transit, intercity passenger rail, ports, airports, or other forms of transportation, and other statutory highway purposes, including the State or local share to match federal aid highway funds. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become part of the Illinois Constitution.”
Click here for BGA’s recommendation
Am I registered to vote?
You can check your registration status by entering your name and zip code at the Registration Lookup website. If you’re registered it will also give your polling place location.
How do I register to vote?
You need two forms of acceptable ID, at least one of which shows your current address.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
● Driver’s license
● State identification card
● Passport
● Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck stub, or other government document that shows your name and address
Between October 12th and November 7th you may register to vote during the “grace period.” In this case, you must vote right after you register.
Or you can register to vote on Election Day, November 8th. However, you can only do so in your home precinct. Same ID requirements apply.
For locations where you can register to vote please see your local election authority here.
For locations for those living in the City of Chicago, please see here.
For locations for those living in suburban Cook County, please see here.
Where is my polling place?
You can find the location of your polling place at the Election Authority website. Each county’s polling places can be found on its website. If you’ve moved since the last election, make sure to re-register from your new address. The various rules that apply if you’ve moved and need to re-register can be found here.
Do I need an ID to vote?
It depends. You will need to present a government-issued photo ID IF:
● You register during the grace period registration from October 12th to November 8th
● You are a new voter who has registered by mail and have not previously supplied the Election Board with appropriate ID
What time are the polls open in Illinois?
On November 8th, polls will be open from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Can I vote early?
Yes. Early voting is from September 29th to November 7th. You can find early voting locations, as well as their hours, here.
Can I vote by mail?
You must have completed an application to vote by mail ballot by November 3rd, 2016. If not, you cannot vote by mail ballot. For those who have completed and submitted their application, mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day (November 8th), and must be received within 14 days of the election. Click here for more information.
Who should I vote for?
The BGA is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse any candidates. As to whom you should vote for, we cannot make any recommendations.
For the U.S. Senate and Comptroller races, please see the following candidate questionnaires produced by the BGA and Reboot Illinois.
Comptroller Questionnaire U.S. Senator Questionnaire
The BGA has taken a position on the “Lockbox” Amendment.
Telephone help lines:
For more information you can call the Illinois State Board of Elections at their Springfield or Chicago offices.
Springfield Office: 217-782-4141 Monday – Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Chicago Office: 312-814-6485 Monday – Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
