Illinois votes Tuesday, March 17th with early voting starting today. With a large pool of Democratic Presidential candidates to choose from this year. Illinois’ 155 pledged delegates could mean the difference in being on the ballot in November or not. Here are some answers to common voting questions ahead of “Super Tuesday.” This year our vote matters more than ever.
How do I confirm if I have registered to vote?
- If you live in Chicago and you are not sure if you are registered to vote, check your status at the Cook County Clerk’s Office website, where you will have to enter your full name and address. If you live in Illinois, but outside of Cook County, you can check with your local county clerk to learn your registration status.Do I need an ID to vote in Illinois?
- NOTE: For IL, the deadline to register online for the upcoming primaries was March 1st at 11:59 p.m. You can register the day of the election or in-person up until the Monday before an election.
- Government-issued photo ID is not required if you’re already registered and show up to vote at the correct precinct unless an election judge challenges your right to vote. In that case, or if you submitted a mail-in registration form that did not have an associated Illinois identification, driver’s license number or Social Security number, you’d need to provide one form of ID. Having it is helpful if there is a question about the voter’s registration, address, or signature. Do voters in Illinois have to declare their party affiliation?
- NOTE: You will need two forms of ID if you are registering in-person after the March 1st deadline. Acceptable forms of ID include a Driver’s license or state ID card, passport, school or work ID, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid card, pay sub along with bills such as utility, medical, or insurance.
- Illinois uses the closed primary system. In a closed primary, voters must declare their party affiliation and will receive one political party’s ballot.
- Are the candidates randomly placed on the ballot?
- The Illinois State Board of Elections conducted a lottery to determine the ballot. The Democratic presidential candidates will be listed on the ballot in this order:
- Amy Klobuchar
- Bernie Sanders
- Joseph R. Biden
- Michael Bloomberg
- Elizabeth Warren
- Pete Buttigieg
- Tom Steyer
Note: Candidates, who have withdrawn from the race before March 17th, will also remain on the ballot.
Beyond selecting, a candidate for president Illinois voters will be picking winners in other notable races. Voters will nominate their party’s candidates for U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, the Illinois Supreme Court, State Senate, State House, Cook County State’s Attorney, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner and the Cook County Board of Review.
For more information on voting in Illinois, visit the IL Board of Election website at elections.il.gov.
LaToya Wright, Contributing Writer