Voting
Poll Times
6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
ID Requirements
Identification is not required in most cases.
First-time voters may have to present the following:
Current and valid photo ID
Utility bill
Bank statement
Government check
Paycheck
Lease or contract for residence
Student ID & mail addressed to voter’s residence
Government document
Can I vote by mail in Illinois?
Any voter can request a Vote by Mail ballot, no excuse required
Can I submit an application online?
No
What's the deadline to request a mail-in ballot?
Your request must be received by October 29th.
What's the deadline to submit my ballot?
Your mail-in ballot must be postmarked by Election Day (Nov. 3) and received within 14 days
Early voting
Sept. 24
Members of the military, their families, and US citizens living overseas can request a ballot to vote from anywhere in the world.
What's on my ballot?
Candidates & Races
Biography
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (b. November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is the former Democratic vice president of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama (D) from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009.
On April 25, 2019, Biden announced that he was running for president of the United States in 2020. With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign. Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020, and was formally nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.
Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
On January 12, 2017, President Barack Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime of public service, marking the final time Obama would present the nation's highest civilian honor. Biden received the award with distinction, an additional honor given only to Pope John Paul II, former President Ronald Reagan, and retired Gen. Colin Powell in the previous three administrations.
Biography
Donald John Trump (b. June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York) is the 45th and current president of the United States. He assumed office on January 20, 2017. He filed to run for re-election on the same day.
Key policy initiatives during Trump's first term include the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and First Step Act in 2018, reducing the size of the ISIS caliphate, and establishing the Space Force as an independent military branch. Trump has made more than 200 federal judicial appointments, including two U.S. Supreme Court justices.
During his presidency, Trump has issued eight vetoes. To read more about these vetoes, click here.
On December 18, 2019, Trump became the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the U.S. House. The U.S. Senate acquitted Trump on both charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on February 5, 2020.
Biography
Kamala Devi Harris (b. October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California) is a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from California. Harris was first elected to the Senate in 2016. She became the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Indian American to serve in the chamber.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Harris was his running mate on August 11, 2020. He called her "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants." Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.
Harris previously ran for president of the United States, entering the race on January 21, 2019. She suspended her presidential campaign on December 3, 2019, and endorsed Biden on March 8, 2020.
Harris is the former attorney general of California. She served in the position from 2011 to 2017. She also served as San Francisco's district attorney from 2004 to 2011.
Biography
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (b. June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana) is the 48th vice president of the United States, serving in President Donald Trump's (R) administration. He was elected on November 8, 2016, and sworn in on January 20, 2017.
Pence served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. As governor, Pence signed into law a 5 percent individual income tax cut in Indiana. He also supported the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, allowing individuals and businesses to exert a right to the free exercise of religion. In his first year in office, FiveThirtyEight ranked him as the second most conservative governor in the country.
From 2001 to 2013, Pence served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his final year in the House, Pence was rated a far-right Republican leader based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack.
Pence's press secretary stated that Pence tested negative for coronavirus on March 21, 2020. Pence was tested after one of his staffers tested positive. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.
Biography
Danny Malouf (Libertarian Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Malouf also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 14th Congressional District. He withdrew before the Republican primary on March 17, 2020.
Biography
David Black (Green Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Black was a Green Party candidate for Illinois Attorney General in the 2014 elections. Black failed to qualify for the general election ballot after the Green Party's ballot access petitions were ruled invalid by the Illinois State Board of Elections on August 22. The Libertarian Party was the only minor party to appear on the ballot following the signature challenge.
Biography
Dick Durbin (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Illinois. He assumed office on January 7, 1997. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.
Durbin (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Democratic primary on March 17, 2020.
Durbin previously was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from District 20 from 1983 to 1997. He attempted a run for the Illinois State Senate in 1976 and for Lieutenant Governor in 1978.
He ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014 against challenger Jim Oberweis. He defeated challenger Jim Oberweis (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.
He was a member of the group of senators deemed the "Gang of Eight." This term is used to reference eight of the most influential Senators on immigration reform and includes four senators from each party.
In the 115th Congress, Durbin cosponsored the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017.
Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Durbin is one of the most reliable Democratic votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Democratic Party in Congress.
Biography
Mark Curran (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Republican primary on March 17, 2020.
Biography
Willie Wilson (Willie Wilson Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Wilson was a candidate for mayor of Chicago in Illinois. He lost the general election on February 26, 2019.
Wilson was a 2016 Democratic candidate for president and a 2015 candidate for mayor of Chicago.
Initiatives
A "yes" vote supports repealing the state's constitutional requirement that the state personal income tax be a flat rate and instead allow the state to enact legislation for a graduated income tax.
A "no" vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thus continuing to require that the state personal income tax be a flat rate and prohibit a graduated income tax.
Election News
