Early voting begins in all Chicago wards ahead of November 5 presidential election
By: Vandana Jhingan
Early voting for the November 5 presidential election is now in full swing across all 50 wards of Chicago, having started on October 21 and continuing until November 4. Voting locations are open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Election Day, November 5, these early voting sites will serve as Vote Centers from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Chicago residents can vote at any of the early voting sites, regardless of their home ward. All locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). So far, nearly 13,000 voters have taken advantage of the early voting opportunity.
Marisel Hernandez, Chairwoman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, stressed the benefits of voting early: “With the November 5 election just days away, we encourage Chicago voters to cast their ballots early for peace of mind.”
Voters have until October 31 at 5:00 p.m. to apply for mail-in ballots, although early applications are recommended. Secure drop boxes for returning mail-in ballots are available at all early voting sites, the Supersite at 191 N. Clark, and the Board’s office at 69 W. Washington. Until earlier this week, over 258,000 applications for mail-in voting have been received, with nearly 54,000 ballots already returned.
While online voter registration has closed, individuals can still register in person at any early voting site or their precinct polling place on Election Day. Voters must bring two forms of ID, with one showing their current address.
Additionally, 32 early voting locations are equipped with bilingual officials to assist voters in their preferred language. New signage at these sites indicates the availability of bilingual assistance, and all locations feature touchscreen voting machines and audio ballots in 12 languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.
For more information, voters can visit the Your Voter Information webpage to check their registration status, view sample ballots, and find nearby early voting sites.
