Registering to vote is a simple process
By law, any U.S. citizen over the age of 18, who has resided in the jurisdiction for 30 days prior to the election, and has registered to vote, is eligible to vote in Illinois.
While registering can be done on-line by using the national voter registration application at www.fabnit.com/nvra_update.pdf, many prefer to do so by contacting their state or local board of elections office for a state-specific voter registration form. In Illinois, applications can be downloaded from the Illinois State Board of Elections website at www.elections.il.gov.
Other locations where citizens can register to vote are at the County Clerk’s Office, Board of Election Commissioner’s office, city and village offices, township offices, through precinct committeemen, schools, public libraries and military recruitment offices. Some corporations, civic groups and labor groups, as well as some governmental agencies such as public assistance offices, also allow people to register.
The registration process is simple and straightforward. The prospective voter must show two forms of identification with at least one showing the current residence address. Those who register by mail must provide proof of their identity such as submission of a driver’s license number or State I.D. card number.
For those who lack those documents, they can submit the last four digits of their social security number, a copy of a current and valid photo I.D., or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document. They should receive their voter verification of registration card in the mail within three weeks from the registration date.
Voters who move to another residence do not have to re-register if they live in the same precinct; they simply sign an affidavit at the polling place attesting that they are the same person. But if they have a name change, they must re-register to vote. Also, if their voter registration card is lost or stolen, they will need to complete another registration affidavit and obtain a new card.
It is against the law for any person to make a false statement or claim or submit false identification to indicate that they are citizens in order to register to vote. It is also against the law for anyone to pay, offer to pay or accept payment for registering to vote. Charges of voter fraud can be made to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations or the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Answers to other questions about registering to vote and the voting process are available through the Illinois State Board of Elections at www.elections.il.gov.
Note: This information was prepared as a public service by the Illinois State Bar Association and is a joint project with the Illinois Press Association. Its purpose is to inform citizens of their legal rights and obligations.
© Illinois State Bar Association
If you have questions about the application of the law in a particular case, consult your lawyer. The law is constantly changing. Information on this site or any site to which we link does not constitute legal advice.