Voting & Civil Rights

In Illinois, if you have spent time in jail or have a criminal record, you still have the right to vote. Once you are no longer in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), your right to vote is automatically restored. If you have previously lost your right to vote because of a felony A serious crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison conviction When someone is declared guilty of a crime by a court , you will need to re-register to vote once you have been released from prison. 

When am I able to vote? 

If you have been accused of committing a felony, or have been convicted of a felony, you may still have the right to vote. As long as you are no longer in the custody of the IDOC, you have the right to vote. You have the right to vote if: 

• Your case is in court, and no verdict A judge or jury's decision, or final ruling, about a case. In a criminal case, a verdict is whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. has been given yet;
• You are being held in jail while your case is in court, and no verdict has been given;
• You are on probation A criminal court sentence which releases a person into the community. They are under supervision and given certain conditions. ;
• You are on parole A release from prison. It allows someone to serve time outside of prison as long as they follow certain conditions. ; or
• You have been incarcerated before, but are not currently.

A sheriff A county officer who can serve people with summons. They can evict someone with a court order. may create a temporary polling place at the county jail. Only residents currently in jail awaiting sentencing will be able to vote in the temporary polling place.

Learn more about voting and the criminal justice system here.

When am I not able to vote?

If you have been convicted of a felony, there are times when you are not allowed to vote. You are not allowed to vote if you are in custody for a felony conviction. This includes if:

• You are in prison serving your sentence;
• You are serving your sentence through work release or furlough; or
• You have been found guilty, but the judge has not given your sentence yet.

Do I need to re-register to vote after my conviction?

If you lost your right to vote because of a felony conviction, you will need to re-register to vote once you have been released from prison. To begin the process of registering to vote, you should see registering to vote. You can also contact the Illinois State Board of Elections, for more information about registering to vote.