Voting & Civil Rights

No, a criminal record alone does not prevent people from voting in Illinois. People with past convictions can vote if they meet the voting requirements and are registered. This includes felony convictions.

People cannot vote when they are currently serving time for a conviction:

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

Voting rights are automatically restored upon release, including release on parole or mandatory supervised release (MSR). People on probation can also vote. Learn more about voting with a criminal record from:

• The Illinois State Board of Elections,
• The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), and
• The John Howard Association.

No, people do not need to expunge or seal criminal history records to vote. Eligible voters with a past criminal record can register and vote unless they are currently serving time for a conviction.

Expungement and sealing are separate processes for clearing or limiting access to criminal records. Learn more about expunging or sealing a criminal record.

People cannot vote while serving time for a conviction in federal or state prison or a county jail. This includes people on work release or furlough, as well as those living in an Adult Transition Center (ATC) in prison or state custody.

This restriction applies to convictions for any crime, including misdemeanors and felonies. People held in jail after conviction, while awaiting sentencing, also cannot vote.

Yes. People on probation, parole, or mandatory supervised release (MSR) can vote if they meet the other voting requirements and are registered. They do not need to finish supervision before voting.

People released from prison or jail on electronic monitoring can also vote. People whose registrations were canceled due to a conviction must re-register after release.

Learn more about voting rights from the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC).

Yes, people who are defendants in a criminal case can vote while facing criminal charges, unless they are currently serving time for a conviction. Pending criminal charges do not prevent people from voting in Illinois. This includes people held in jail awaiting trial who are:

• Eligible voters, and
• Registered.

Eligible voters held in jail awaiting trial:

• Outside Cook County, can vote by mail or at a temporary polling place in the jail if the sheriff authorizes it, and
• Inside Cook County, can vote at a temporary polling place in the county jail.

Temporary polling places at jails serve voters who are residents of the county where the jail is located. Jail staff or the local election authority can explain how to register, request a mail ballot, or use an available jail polling place. Learn more in section 19-2.3 and section 19A-20 of the Election Code.

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. Voter registration, which allows people to exercise their voting rights, 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.

Voters registering in person need two forms of ID. An Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) ID can count as one form of ID. Learn more about what kinds of ID are needed to register to vote in person and using an IDOC ID to register.

The local election authority can answer questions about voter eligibility, registration, and voting options, including voting while in jail.

Learn more about voting with a criminal record from:

• The Illinois State Board of Elections,
• The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), and
• The John Howard Association.