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How to Vote in Chicago

Posted on February 7, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Sidney Madden

Sidney Madden

Voters at the Chicago Board of Elections Loop Supersite in the Loop in 2023

Voters at the Chicago Board of Elections Loop Supersite in the Loop in 2023. (Antonio Perez / Tribune / Getty)

With the March 19 primary sneaking up, it’s not too early for Chicagoans to create a voting plan.

Vote by Mail

Mail-in ballots will start to be sent out Thursday. But if you haven’t signed up yet, don’t fret: Chicago voters can register to vote by mail until March 14. Mail-in ballots — whether dropped off at a secured drop box, the Chicago Board of Elections, or sent in the mail — have to be postmarked by March 19 for your vote to count.

And if voting by mail is your M.O., join the permanent vote-by-mail list.

Early Voting

Chicagoans who prefer to vote early and in person can head to the supersite in the Loop starting Feb. 15. Early voting sites in each of the city’s 50 wards will open March 5. Residents can vote at any site no matter where they live in the city.

In Person on Primary Day

Go to the polling place nearest you, the supersite, or any of the early voting sites. Ballots, which could be on a touchscreen voting machine or on paper, come in several languages including Spanish, Chinese, and more.

And if you moved or are moving before Feb. 18 like your fav newsletter editor, be sure to update your registration and vote at your new address. Otherwise, you’re registered at your old home.

🗳️ How do you like to vote?
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