Politics
Chicago early voting begins citywide ahead of Nov. 3 election
In-person voting is open at sites in all 50 wards, where Chicagoans can cast ballots regardless of where they live. Ward locations are open through Nov. 2, with weekend and evening hours available at select sites.
Chicago voters can now cast ballots early at polling sites in all 50 wards, with locations open through Nov. 2 ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Early voting also began at three Chicago-area universities.
Voters may use any ward early-voting site, regardless of their home address. Registration is available at all 50 locations and on Election Day.
On the city ballot are races for the Chicago Board of Education. Illinois voters will also choose candidates for U.S. Senate and House seats, governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, other statewide offices and the state legislature.
At the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center in Bronzeville on Monday, 76-year-old Richard Rolark said voting early would help him avoid Election Day crowds and potentially severe weather. The Vietnam veteran urged people not to take the right to vote for granted, recalling that he was injured by a rock while participating in a 1965 voting-rights march in Selma, Alabama.
“Come out and vote. That’s a very, very important thing to do,” Rolark said.
Gov. JB Pritzker and his running mate, Christian Mitchell, joined faith leaders at Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church to encourage early voting. At Union Park, voter Graham Hickey said he chose to vote early to avoid crowds and support civic engagement.
Ward sites are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown voting is available at the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite, 137 S. State St., and the Board of Elections office, 69 W. Washington St. Those locations follow the ward-site schedule through Sunday, then remain open until 7 p.m. from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2.