Chicago, it's voting time. Election Day for the city's 2023 Municipal Election -- which includes Chicago's tight race for mayor -- is officially here.
According to the Chicago Board of Elections, 244,580 voters have already exercised their civic duty and cast their ballots, with 131,806 voters choosing to vote early in-person and another 112,774 voting by mail.
Chicago's 19th Ward, which includes Beverly, Morgan Park, Kennedy Park and Mt. Greenwood, has the highest early voter turn out so far, with 7,701 early ballots cast, data from the Board show.
If you haven't voted yet however, you're not alone. In both the 2019 and the 2015 Municipal Elections, the majority of voters waited until Election Day to cast their ballot. Both of those years, the city saw a voter turn out between 34 and 35 percent.
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As Election Day for 2023 gets underway, here's a breakdown of what time polls open and close, how to find a polling place near you, what to know about same day voter registration, returning a vote-by-mail ballot and more.
What Time Do Polls Open and Close?
According to the Chicago Board of Elections, all polling places open at 6 a.m. Feb. 28. Polls will close at 7 p.m.
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Note: If you're in line before 7 p.m., you'll still be able to vote.
Where Can I Vote? Where is My Polling Place?
Here's a full list of polling places by ward and precinct, as well as each location's accessibility tiers.
If you aren't sure which precinct or ward live in, you find out here. You can also vote at the Loop Voting Supersite, located at 191 N. Clark St.
Additionally, this year, the Chicago Board of Elections says that all 51 early voting sites will be open on Election Day, and "voters can choose whatever voting site is most convenient for them, including on Election Day."
I Want to Vote but Haven’t Registered. Can I Still Vote Tuesday?
Illinois offers same-day voter registration, but those voters will be required to provide identification to register and to cast a ballot.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, valid forms of identification include a driver’s license or state ID, a utility bill, a government check, a paycheck, a lease or contract for residence, a bank statement, or any other form of government document that includes the voter’s name and address.
A student ID is also accepted, but must be accompanied by a piece of mail addressed to the residence at which the voter is seeking to register.
Do You Need Your Voter Card to Cast a Ballot?
Under Illinois law, you are not required to carry your voter card into the polling place. Doing so can help serve as a reminder of which precinct you vote in and what offices will be on your ballot, but they are not required.
Illinois also does not require photo ID to cast ballots, unless a voter is registering for same-day or grace-period registration, or is turning in a mail-in ballot and choosing to vote in-person instead.
Returning a Mail-In Ballot
There are several different ways Chicago voters can return their mail-in ballots, which already comes complete with a postage-paid ballot return envelope:
- Through the U.S. Postal Service
- In a secure drop box in any of these locations, including the Loop Supersite
- By personal delivery to the Election Board at 69 W. Washington, Sixth Floor
According to election officials, email confirmations are sent to voters after their ballot has been received, as well as when their ballot has been processed and counted.
The last day for vote-by-mail ballots to be postmarked is Feb. 28, the Board says. Additionally, any mail ballot postmarked Mar. 1 or later cannot be counted, as stated by law.
However, as long as a ballot is post marked by Feb. 28, the ballot has up until Mar. 14 to arrive at the Board in order to be counted in the election, officials say.
If you have requested a mail ballot but have not voted by mail, you may take your mail ballot to any early voting site, surrender the ballot, and then vote on a new ballot, in-person.
However, if a ballot has already been returned to the Board, "it cannot be retried of withdrawn."
"The same voter cannot vote in person in the polling place on Election Day unless he or she brings the mail ballot (or a portion of it) to the election judges OR completes an affidavit stating the mail ballot was never received by the voter or that it was received and lost," the Board says.
Here's more on voting-by-mail in Illinois.
If My Mail-In Ballot Arrives After Election Day, Will it Still Be Counted?
According to the Chicago Board of Elections, more than 200,000 mail-in ballot applications have been submitted so far during the election season. However, only 112,774 vote-by-mail ballots have been received so far.
That means 100,843 outstanding vote-by-mail ballots have yet to be returned.
As long as ballots are postmarked by Feb. 28, and as long as they are received by the CBOE by March 14, then they can be counted.
Ballots that were received in or before Monday, whether submitted at early voting facilities or received via the mail, will be included in the initial count on Tuesday night according to CBOE officials, meaning that tabulators can get a head start on compiling the results for the election.
In addition to the number of outstanding mail-in ballots, there is also the prospect of a recount if the results are tight. Under Chicago law, if a mayoral candidate finishes within 5% of second place in the Feb. 28 election, they could request a recount of ballots, which could cause the process to last even longer.
The certification of election results does not have to occur until March 21, just two weeks before the runoff on April 4.
When Will Results Come In?
According to Election officials, results will start to come shortly after polls close at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28.
MORE: NBC Chicago Offers 3.5 Hours of Special Chicago Mayoral Election Coverage Tuesday
