Where, when and how to vote in suburban Cook County

Early voting: now through Nov. 2

This guide covers suburban Cook County: all of Cook County outside the City of Chicago, where the Cook County Clerk runs elections. Chicago voters vote with the Chicago Board of Elections.

Any suburban Cook voter can vote at any early-voting site. Six vote centers have been open since Wednesday, Oct. 7: the courthouses in Bridgeview, Markham, Maywood, Rolling Meadows and Skokie, and the Clerk's downtown site on the Pedway level of 69 W. Washington St. in Chicago. The downtown site is for suburban Cook voters only. Through Friday, Oct. 16, the six are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

On Monday, Oct. 19, early voting expands to all 57 sites, open every day through Monday, Nov. 2. Most are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Seven stay open until 7 p.m. on weekdays from Oct. 26 through Oct. 30 and on Monday, Nov. 2: the downtown site, Arlington Heights Village Hall, Calumet City Library, the Cicero PSO Building, Evanston's Robert Crown Community Center, Oak Lawn Public Library and Orland Park Civic Center. A few sites keep other hours, which the guide lists, and Crestwood Civic Center's last day is Sunday, Nov. 1.

Not registered, or moved? You can register and vote the same day at any early-voting site, or on Election Day at your polling place or any vote center.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can vote at your precinct's polling place, or at any of the six vote centers: the five courthouses and the downtown site. There are 803 polling places for suburban Cook's 1,430 precincts. Enter your address in the guide above to find your polling place and the vote centers nearest you.

The Clerk updates its polling place list as places change, so check yours with its Your Voter Information tool before you go.

Voting by mail

Applications for a mail ballot must reach the Clerk's office 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 early-voting site except Universal School in Bridgeview, during the site's hours from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2, and at the six vote centers since Oct. 7. At 69 W. Washington St., where you vote on the Pedway level, the drop box is in the lobby. On Election Day, the vote centers' drop boxes are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Precinct polling places don't accept mail ballots; you can turn yours in there and vote in person instead.

If there's a problem with your ballot's envelope, the Clerk's office will contact you; you have 14 days after the election, until Tuesday, Nov. 17, to fix it. Track your ballot with Your Voter Information.

What to bring

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

Getting there

Where a Pace bus stop, Metra station or CTA stop is within a quarter-mile of an early-voting site, vote center or polling place, the guide names it and the routes that serve it, and the directions links open your maps app with transit directions. Many sites have no stop that close.

Accessibility

Every suburban polling place has at least one touch-screen voting machine, which can read the ballot aloud in English, Spanish, Chinese or Hindi, and a seated voting booth; ask an election judge for a magnifier. You can have a friend, a relative or two election judges, one from each party, help you vote.

If you'll need help getting into your polling place, tell the Clerk's office at least 24 hours ahead. To vote curbside from your car, ask at least a week before Election Day. Details from the Clerk.

About this guide

Early-voting sites, vote centers, polling places and drop boxes come from the Cook County Clerk; precincts, County Commissioner districts and most site locations from Cook County's GIS; congressional and legislative districts and map geography from the U.S. Census Bureau; stops and routes from Pace's, Metra's and the CTA's published timetables. The Chicago Messenger is not affiliated with the Cook County Clerk. Confirm details at cookcountyclerkil.gov.