Chicago opened its early voting centers on October 1, giving residents an opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of the November 3 Midterm General Election.

According to Kimico Mehta, Director of South Asian Outreach at the Chicago Board of Elections, early voting began at downtown locations before expanding to designated sites throughout Chicago’s 50 wards later this month.

Downtown early voting location

Voters casting their ballots at the downtown location can visit:

137 S. State Street
Chicago, IL

Voters should note the location, particularly those who may have previously used a different downtown early voting site.

Early voting will expand to designated locations in all 50 wards beginning October 19, giving residents more opportunities to vote closer to home before Election Day.

Reaching Chicago’s South Asian community

The Chicago Board of Elections has an established South Asian Outreach program focused on providing election information and language assistance to the city’s diverse South Asian community.

Mehta’s responsibilities include outreach to Asian Indian and Hindi-speaking communities, voter education and recruitment of bilingual poll workers.

The Board provides election information and voting assistance in several South Asian languages, including Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu.

Election Board seeks Hindi and Punjabi-speaking judges

The Chicago Board of Elections is also seeking bilingual Election Judges who speak Hindi and Punjabi, particularly to assist voters on Election Day, November 3.

The recruitment is part of the Board’s broader effort to ensure that voters with limited English proficiency can receive appropriate language assistance at designated polling locations.

For members of the Indian American and broader South Asian community who are fluent in Hindi or Punjabi and interested in serving as Election Judges, the opportunity offers a way to participate directly in the electoral process while helping fellow community members navigate voting.

Key dates for Chicago voters

Chicago residents do not have to wait until November 3 to cast their ballots.

Key dates include:

• • October 1: Early voting opens at downtown Chicago locations

• • October 19: Early voting expands to designated locations in all 50 wards

• • November 3: General Election Day

Voters are encouraged to verify their registration, voting location and hours before visiting a polling site.

An opportunity to serve the community

For Chicago’s growing South Asian community, access to election information in familiar languages can help make participation in the electoral process more accessible.

The Board’s South Asian Outreach effort, led by Kimico Mehta, connects voters with election information while also recruiting bilingual poll workers who can provide language assistance where needed.

As early voting gets underway, South Asian residents have an opportunity not only to vote before Election Day but also, for qualified bilingual residents, to consider serving as Election Judges and helping fellow community members participate in the voting process.