Where, when and how to vote in Chicago

Early voting: now through Nov. 2

Any Chicago voter can vote at any early-voting site. Two downtown sites have been open since Thursday, Oct. 1: the Downtown Voting Supersite, 137 S. State St., and the Board of Elections' office, 69 W. Washington St., 6th floor. Starting Monday, Oct. 26, both stay open until 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Early-voting sites in all 50 wards open Monday, Oct. 19, and stay open through Monday, Nov. 2. Hours at every site are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Three campus sites are open Oct. 28 through Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for anyone: Chicago State University, Northeastern Illinois University and the University of Chicago's Reynolds Club.

Not registered, or moved? You can register and vote the same day at an early-voting site.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can vote at your precinct polling place, or at any of 51 vote centers: the 50 ward early-voting sites and the Downtown Voting Supersite. If you're in line at 7 p.m., you can still vote. Enter your address in the guide above to find your polling place and the vote centers nearest you.

If you go to another precinct's polling place, you can only cast a provisional ballot, which counts only for the races you're eligible to vote in. A vote center has your ballot no matter where you live in the city.

Voting by mail

Applications for a mail ballot must reach the Board of Elections by Thursday, Oct. 29. Apply online.

Return your ballot by mail, postmarked by Election Day; it must arrive by Nov. 17. Or put it in a drop box: there's one at every ward early-voting site from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2, and at every vote center on Election Day until 7 p.m. You can also hand it in at the Board of Elections' office, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 600. Precinct polling places don't accept mail ballots.

If there's a problem with your ballot's envelope, the Board will contact you; you have 14 days after the election, until Tuesday, Nov. 17, to fix it. More from the Board of Elections.

What to bring

You don't need ID to vote in Chicago if you're already registered. If you're registering when you vote, bring two forms of ID, one showing your current address.

Getting there

For every early-voting site, vote center and polling place, the guide lists the nearest CTA bus and 'L' stops and the routes that serve them, and the directions links open your maps app with transit directions.

Accessibility

The Board of Elections says every early-voting site is accessible. You can bring someone to help you vote, and election judges can help too.

About this guide

Early-voting sites, vote centers and polling places come from the Chicago Board of Elections; precincts and wards from the City of Chicago's data portal; Congressional and legislative districts and map geography from the U.S. Census Bureau; stops and routes from the CTA's published timetables. The Chicago Messenger is not affiliated with the Board of Elections. Confirm details at chicagoelections.gov.