After a busy fall election season in 2022, this spring’s consolidated election is relatively simple; only two Evanston wards have a council member up for election, as the incumbents in the Second and Ninth wards were appointed last year to fill vacancies. Also on the ballot: school board positions at District 65 and Evanston Township High School and spots on the board of trustees of Oakton College. That’s it! No referendums, no judges, no state or federal officials.
Here’s what Evanston residents need to know about the election:
When can I vote?
Early voting opened Monday, March 20, and voters will be able to cast their ballots at the Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. through April 3.
Residents must request mail-in ballots by March 30.
On Election Day, April 4, polling is open from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. Voters who are in line before 7 p.m. will be able to cast their ballots.
Who’s on the ballot?
Evanston City Council: Incumbent Council Members Krissie Harris (2nd Ward) and Juan Geracaris (9th Ward), were both appointed by Mayor Daniel Biss to fill vacancies last year, so only voters who live in those wards have council decisions to make. In the Second Ward, Harris faces two challengers, Darlene Cannon and Patricia Gregory. In the Ninth Ward, Geracaris faces a lone challenger, Kathy Hayes. Learn more about each of the candidates by reading our profiles.
District 65: Five candidates are vying for three seats on the District 65 school board, and appear on the ballot in this order: John Matthew Martin, Mya Wilkins, Ndona Muboyayi, Omar G. Salem and Sergio Hernandez Jr. (Wilkins and Hernandez are incumbents.) Learn more about each of the candidates by reading our profiles.
District 202: Four candidates are running for three seats on the ETHS school board with four-year terms, and are listed on the ballot in this order: Monique Parsons, Elizabeth Rolewicz, Kristen Scotti and Leah Piekarz. (Parsons and Rolewicz are incumbents.) In addition, a seat with a two-year term is also up for election but there are no candidates named on the ballot in that race. Incumbent Mirah Anti, as the only declared write-in candidate, will win so long as she receives at least a single vote. Learn more about each of the candidates by reading our profiles.
Oakton Community College: There are two candidates for two vacancies on the Oakton board of trustees. Theresa Bashiri-Remetio and Martha Burns are virtually guaranteed victory.
Can I still register to vote?
The online application deadline for voter registration in Illinois has passed. However, the state has a “grace period” up to and including Election Day allowing voters to register in-person at their polling location.
How do I vote early?
Cook County has specific guidelines for early voting; and in Evanston, voters can cast their ballots at the Morton Civic Center from March 20 through April 3, during the following hours:
- March 20 to March 24: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- March 25: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- March 26: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- March 27 to March 31: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- April 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- April 2: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- April 3: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where can I vote?
The Cook County Clerk’s “Your Voter Information” tool provides voters their specific polling place on Election Day, based on their address. Evanston has a total of 25 polling places, with each location assigned one to three of Evanston’s 46 voting precincts.
- Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
- Precincts 1-1 and 7-6
- Jane R. Perlman Apartments, 1900 Sherman Ave.
- Precincts 1-2 and 5-2
- Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St.
- Precincts 1-3 and 7-3
- Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
- Precinct 1-4
- McGaw YMCA, 1000 Grove Street
- Precincts 2-1 and 4-6
- Beth Emet Synagogue, 1224 Dempster St.
- Precincts 2-2, 4-1 and 4-4
- Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave.
- Precinct 2-3
- Washington Elementary School, 914 Ashland Ave.
- Precincts 2-4 and 4-5
- Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St.
- Precincts 2-5 and 9-4
- Nichols Middle School, 800 Greenleaf St.
- Precincts 3-1, 3-2 and 4-2
- Lake Street Church, 607 Lake St.
- Precincts 3-4 and 4-3
- Reba Place Church, 620 Madison St.
- Precincts 3-5 and 9-1
- Lincoln Elementary School, 910 Forest Ave.
- Precincts 3-6 and 3-7
- Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.
- Precincts 5-1 and 5-3
- Northminster Presbyterian Church, 2515 Central Park Ave.
- Precinct 6-1
- Willard Elementary School, 2700 Hurd Ave.
- Precincts 6-2
- Hillside Free Methodist Church, 2727 Crawford Ave.
- Precinct 6-3
- Lincolnwood Elementary School, 2600 Colfax St.
- Precincts 6-4 and 6-7
- Haven Middle School, 2417 Prairie Ave.
- Precincts 6-5, 7-1 and 7-2
- Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
- Precinct 7-4
- Baha’i National Center, 1233 Central St.
- Precinct 7-5
- Dawes Elementary School, 440 Dodge Ave.
- Precincts 8-1 and 8-5
- Oakton Elementary School, 436 Ridge Ave.
- Precincts 8-2, 8-3 and 8-4
- Grace Lutheran Church, 1430 South Blvd.
- Precinct 9-2
- Chute Middle School, 1400 Oakton St.
- Precincts 9-3 and 9-6
How do I vote by mail?
Registered voters can apply to vote by mail on the County Clerk’s website, and are required to provide their driver’s license/state ID number, the last four digits of their social security number, the address they want the ballot mailed to and their email address. If voters do not have one of these requirements, they can print a paper application from the website to fill out manually and mail it to the County Clerk’s office.
Voters are advised to apply as early as possible if they want to vote by mail. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and be received within 14 days of Election Day to be counted, which is March 30.
Voters can also register to vote by mail permanently, provided they stay at the same address. Elections officials began sending permanent applications to each of Illinois’ 8 million registered voters in August 2022.
How can I report election fraud?
Complaints of violations of the Illinois Election Code must be mailed in writing to the Executive Director of the Board of Elections. The complaint must include a variety of information listed on the board’s website.
Do I need an ID with me to vote?
If you are already registered, you do not need to present an ID to vote. If you are not registered, you will need to provide the two forms of identification mentioned above to register on-site; if you cannot provide the required identification, you will only be able to vote with a provisional ballot.
More information on the election is available on the city website and from the Cook County clerk’s office.