Voting & Civil Rights

Voter registration is the process for:

• Verifying that a person is an eligible voter,
• Adding the person to the official voter records maintained by the local election authority, 
• Figuring out which ballot and polling places a voter can use, and
• Helping election officials verify the voter’s eligibility when they vote.

Voter registration is separate from having the legal right to vote, also called the franchise. Eligible voters must register to exercise their right to vote. In Illinois, this can include registering and voting in the same visit to the polls at a location that offers both services.

To register and vote in Illinois, a person must be:

• A U.S. citizen,
• 18 years old or older on Election Day, except that eligible 17-year-olds can vote in a primary if they will turn 18 by the general or consolidated election for which that primary selects candidates,
• Living in the election precinct for at least 30 days before the date of the election in which they wish to vote, although special rules apply to registered voters who move within Illinois, and
• Only claiming the right to vote in Illinois.

These people are called eligible voters. Illinois law also uses the terms "qualified voter" and "qualified elector" to describe eligible voters. Eligible voters can have criminal history records as long as they are not currently serving a sentence of confinement. Learn more about Voting with a criminal record.

All eligible voters must register before voting. Some poll locations allow people to register and vote on the same day. Eligible people can also preregister starting at age 16, as explained below. People concerned about keeping their address private because of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking may be able to register through the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP).

Most voters can use the Illinois State Board of Elections’ voter registration lookup to check whether:

• They are registered, and 
• Their information is current.

If registration information is missing or incorrect, the local election authority can help voters check their records and explain how to register or update their information.

Voters who participate in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) may not be able to confirm their information through the online search.

Eligible voters can register before an election:

• Online through the Illinois State Board of Elections, through 11:59 p.m. on the 16th day before Election Day,
• By mailing a completed voter registration application to their local election authority,
• In person at their local election authority’s office or another authorized registration location, such as a participating school, library, or government agency, or
• For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking, through the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP).

To submit a registration application online, voters need an Illinois driver’s license or state ID. 

The deadline for mailing a voter registration application to the local election authority depends on whether the mail is postmarked:

• The application must be postmarked at least 28 days before Election Day, or
• If the application does not have a postmark, it must be received no later than 5 calendar days after the postmark deadline. If the fifth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or State holiday, the deadline extends through the next business day.

Eligible voters held in jail awaiting trial can also register. Jail staff or the local election authority can explain how to get and submit a registration application and arrange to vote. Learn more in Voting with a criminal record.

After the regular registration deadlines, eligible voters can register and vote during the same visit at designated locations through Election Day. This is called grace-period registration. The local election authority can explain available locations and registration methods.

The deadline rules are in sections 1A-16, 1A-16.5, and 1-6 of the Election Code.

Eligible voters enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) can use a separate registration process to keep their information private from the public. The program is free. Survivors who fear for their safety may qualify without a police report or protective order.

Participants must submit the Illinois ACP Voter Registration Application included in their program welcome materials to their local election authority. They must use this application and vote by mail to receive the program’s voter confidentiality protections.

Enrolling in ACP protects participants’ names and addresses from public voter registration searches and voter-list releases. People already registered must register again using the ACP Voter Registration Application. However, participating in the ACP does not recall information already released from records.

Learn more or apply through the Illinois Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program. Program staff can answer questions at (844) 916-0295. People with hearing or speech disabilities can use the 711 relay service.

People with disabilities and people who need language assistance can ask their local election authority for help registering to vote. This may include help completing the application, accessible materials, or assistance communicating with registration staff. Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking who need disability accommodations or language assistance can also participate in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP).

A person whose disability prevents them from going to a registration location can ask for a registration official to visit them. The Election Code provides for this service when the person submits a sworn statement that they cannot appear because of a disability. Learn more in section 4-6 of the Election Code. 

The Illinois State Board of Elections provides voter registration applications in English and Spanish. The local election authority can explain which additional languages and assistance are available.

All voters registering in person need two forms of ID. A photo ID is not required to register to vote. Voters may need to show ID when voting in certain situations, such as when their right to vote is challenged or if they registered by mail without providing the required identification. 

Examples of ID include:

• A driver’s license,
• A Social Security card,
• A public aid ID card,
• A utility bill,
• An employee or student ID,
• A lease or contract for a residence,
• A credit card, or
• A civic, union, or professional association membership card.

For people who are housed, one ID must show their current residence address. Voters experiencing homelessness must provide evidence that they use the mailing address listed on their registration. Mailing addresses can include a shelter, a day shelter, or a private residence. People experiencing homelessness who are registering to vote can meet the mailing address requirement by providing:

• Mail addressed to the voter and received at that address, or
• A statement from someone authorizing the voter to use that mailing address.

The registration ID rules are in section 6-37 of the Election Code.

Yes, people with a criminal record can register to vote. A past criminal conviction does not prevent an otherwise eligible person from registering and voting after release. People awaiting trial can also register and vote, even if they are held in jail, unless they are currently serving time for another conviction. However, people who have been convicted of a crime cannot vote while completing a sentence:

• In federal or state prison,
• In a county jail, 
• In an Adult Transition Center (ATC), or
• On work-release or furlough. 

Learn more about Voting with a criminal record.

People who lost their voting rights because they were incarcerated for a conviction need to register again after release, even if they were registered before incarceration. Voting rights return automatically. Registering again is a separate step.

Being held in jail while awaiting trial does not, by itself, require a voter to register again. Voters can check their registration or contact their local election authority to check whether their information is current.

Learn more in Voting with a criminal record.

Yes, people can register to vote before turning 18. This is called preregistration. Preregistration does not allow a person to vote until they are:

• 18 years old or older on Election Day, or 

• 17 at the time of a primary election, only if they will turn 18 by the general or consolidated election for which that primary selects candidates.

People who meet the other voter eligibility requirements can preregister starting on their 16th birthday. Their application is held until they reach the age required to vote. Preregistering does not allow a 16-year-old to vote.

Preregistration is available through the online voter registration system or an automatic voter registration agency’s electronic portal. These rules are in section 3-6 of the Election Code.

Yes. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, public school districts with any students in 9th through 12th grades must give eligible students graduating from high school an opportunity to register to vote.

Students must meet the voter eligibility requirements. Students who are not yet old enough to vote can preregister starting at age 16.

Learn more about the school registration requirement in the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Law.

Yes, eligible voters can register or update their registration on Election Day at designated locations. This is part of grace-period registration. Voters using grace-period registration must vote during the same visit. 

Not every polling place offers grace-period registration. Check with the local election authority to find locations offering this service.

Voters who move within Illinois can update their registration online, by mail, or in person. After the regular registration deadlines, voters who move within Illinois can update their registration and vote at the location assigned to their new address using the grace-period registration process.

Registration updates are available through Election Day for in-person voters at designated locations. Voters using grace-period registration must update their registration and vote during the same visit. Check with the local election authority for more information. 

If a voter was already registered at their old precinct and moves during the 30 days before an election, they can still vote at their old polling place. The voter must sign a sworn statement, also called an affidavit. They must also provide either two forms of ID showing their current residence address or a supporting affidavit from a registered voter in the former precinct. This rule is in section 17-10 of the Election Code.

Voters can update their registration after a name change online, by mail, or in person. After the regular registration deadlines, eligible voters can update their registration and vote during the same visit at a designated grace-period registration location through Election Day.

Voters who still live in the same precinct can vote even if their registration remains under their former name. They must sign a sworn statement, also called an affidavit, confirming that they are the person registered under the former name and still live in that precinct. This option applies regardless of when the name changed.

Voters using the affidavit process do not need to update their state ID first to vote. This rule is in section 5-23 of the Election Code. The local election authority can explain how to complete the process.

Most voter registration records are not private:

• Election officials use them to administer elections,
• Political committees and government agencies can access registration information as allowed by law, and
• Members of the public can request the statewide voter registration list to check its accuracy, although the State Board of Elections does not provide this public access to the statewide list during the 27 days immediately before an election.

Registration records can show whether a voter participated in an election and which political party’s ballot they requested in a primary. They do not show which candidates the voter selected or how they voted on public questions.

People concerned about keeping their address private because of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking may qualify for the Illinois Address Confidentiality Program. The program provides a separate voter registration process to protect participants’ confidential information.

The State Board of Elections website has a fee schedule for different kinds of voter information requests, along with forms. ACP participants’ names and addresses must be protected from public voter-list releases. Other sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, and parts of home addresses, may be redacted from the statewide list released to the public. These rules are in section 1A-25 of the Election Code.

The local election authority can help voters:

• Check whether their registration is active and their information is correct,
• Update their name or address,
• Find registration locations and confirm deadlines,
• Identify documents they can use to register,
• Request disability accommodations or language assistance, and
• Find locations offering registration and voting through Election Day.

Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking who fear for their safety can contact the Illinois Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). Program staff can answer questions at (844) 916-0295. People with hearing or speech disabilities can use the 711 relay service.