Chicago applications open for voting-by-mail

Applications opened this week for Chicagoans to vote by mail ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Voters can apply online or request a paper application at chicagoelections.gov. They’re available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean and Tagalog, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

Voters can also sign up for the city’s permanent vote-by-mail roster. Those who already have signed up will automatically have a ballot mailed to their home address. Anyone who’s not sure of their status can look it up on the city election board website.

Officials expect to start mailing out ballots Sept. 26. People can apply to receive one through Oct. 31.

They can be mailed back in or dropped off at an early voting location drop box. All ballots will be counted as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day on Nov. 5.

Mail voters will be notified by email when their application is accepted, when a ballot is mailed, when the election board receives the completed ballot, and when it’s been processed and counted.

In-person early voting is expected to start Sept. 26 at two downtown sites: 191 N. Clark St. and 69 W. Washington St.

On Oct. 21, early voting will expand at sites in all 50 wards of the city.

Vote-by-mail applications are also open for suburban Cook County voters at cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections.

Suburban early voting is expected to launch Oct. 9 at suburban Cook County Circuit Courthouses, as well as at 69 W. Washington St. It’ll expand to dozens of more locations Oct. 21.

Early voting and mail ballots have grown in popularity since COVID-19 upended life in 2020. More than 400,000 Chicagoans cast mail ballots that year, when more than 300,000 voted early.

Almost 109,000 Chicago mail ballots were cast in this year’s March primary. Turnout is expected to be higher for the presidential election.

For more information on city ballots, visit chicagoelections.gov or call (312) 269-7936.

Suburban voters can get more information at cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections or (312) 603-0946.