Today, Nov. 2, is the last day for early voting. The Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., will be open for early voters until 7 p.m. Suburban Cook County residents may vote at any early-voting site. The two most convenient for Evanston residents are in the Skokie Court House and the Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
On Election Day
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Many polling places have been changed because of the pandemic, and voters can find their polling places at ova.elections.il.gov or www.vote.org.
Drop Box for Mail-In Ballots
A secure drop-box is available at the Civic Center for voters who have mail-in ballots but do not wish to use the U.S. Postal Service.
Voter verification is required. The voter must sign in a specified place on the outside of the ballot “to verify they are the one who cast the vote,” said James Nally, who serves as legal counsel to the Cook County Election Board.
Anyone who wishes to use the drop-box for their ballots but who is unable to get to the early-voting site may designate someone to deliver the ballot. The voter can sign, also on the outside of the ballot, to verify permission for the designated person to deliver the ballot.
A voter who has received a mail-in ballot but not cast it and later decides to vote in person may still do so, Mr. Nally said. On Election Day, the voter may present the mail-in ballot to an election judge at the polling place and receive instructions on how to proceed.
Voting Information
A government-issued photo ID is not required to vote early, but is helpful if there is a question about the voter’s registration, address or signature.
Residents can register to vote at all early voting sites, the locations of which are available on the Cook County Clerk’s website. To register, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and a resident of the precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day, Nov. 3.
Anyone registering for the first time or filing an address change or name change must present two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter’s current address. Accepted forms of ID are an Illinois driver’s license, Illinois state ID, employee or student ID, credit card, Social Security card, birth certificate, utility bill in applicant’s name, mail postmarked to the applicant, valid U.S. passport, Public Aid ID card and a lease or rental contract.