When does early voting start? Here are answers to your Illinois election questions
The new year is beginning to take shape and, with it, so is a busy election season.
Illinois voters will head to the polls twice in 2024, as the oval office, seats in the Illinois General Assembly and Illinois Supreme Court, congressional districts, and other local races are up for grabs.
Voters' first opportunity will come on March 19 for the state primary, although those wishing to vote early can do so starting as early as Feb. 8.
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Presidential candidates will vie for the state's 17 electoral votes in the fall general election in which Democrats have dominated in recent years. Former president George H.W. Bush was the last Republican to carry Illinois in 1988.
All 118 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives and 23 state Senate seats also will be in contention. Democrats hold 78-40 and 40-19 respective super-majorities. The party maintains 14 of Illinois' 17 congressional seats along with a 5-2 majority in the state's high court.
Here's what you need to know heading into election season.
Know these election dates, Illinois voters
Feb. 8: Early primary voting begins
Feb. 20: Regular voter registration closes
Feb. 21: Grace period voter registration begins, and continues through election day
March 3: Last day to register to vote through the Illinois State Board of Elections
March 11: Last day for voters outside the U.S. (residents, nonresidents, and military) to request a ballot from their local election authority
March 14: Last day for an election authority to receive mail-in ballots
March 19: Primary election
March 21: Voter registration reopens
Aug. 7: First day to request mail-in ballot
Sept. 26: Early general election voting begins
Oct. 8: Regular voter registration closes
Oct. 9: Grace period voter registration begins, and continues through election day
Oct. 28: Last day for voters outside the U.S. (residents, nonresidents, and military) to request a ballot from their local election authority
Oct. 31: Last day for an election authority to receive mail-in ballots
Nov. 5: General election
What do I need to have to be registered to vote?
To be registered to vote in Illinois, voters must first meet a set of criteria.
All voters must be U.S. citizens, be 18 years or older by election day, and reside within their voting precinct for at least 30 days before the election. Convicted individuals in jail and those claiming a right to vote elsewhere are not eligible to vote.
A new state law also allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote at a Secretary of State Department of Motor Vehicles office.
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Two forms of identification, one showing your name and current address and another displaying your name, are required for registration. Voters can use a driver's license, Social Security card, birth certificate, checkbook, utility bill, bank statement, credit card, student or state I.D. card.
Voters who miss the regular registration ending 28 days before an election, can still register until election day through grace period registration. Grace period is only available in person.
Early voting: In-person, mail and overseas
Voters have several early voting options. County election offices serve as the primary location for early in-person voting, open Monday through Friday and several weekends, up until March 18.
Voters wishing to cast a ballot by mail can request applications either in person or through the mail. Ballots must be returned by March 14. Drop-off boxes are available in all 102 counties in Illinois, which can be found on the ISBOE website.
Those serving in the military and those living overseas have voting options as well via a federal postcard application. Voters can find the form by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website or the Illinois Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment site through ISBOE. The early voting period is typically 45 days before election day.
Illinois voters can find polling locations through their voting identification card or a tool found on the ISBOE website.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois elections 2024: What to know before heading to the polls