Politics
Chicago opens early voting in all 50 wards as suburban sites grow to 56
Neighborhood early-voting locations opened across Chicago and expanded throughout suburban Cook County on Monday, giving voters more places to cast ballots ahead of the November election. Suburban sites include secure drop boxes for completed mail ballots, while Chicago locations offer registration services and language assistance.
Early voting expanded across Chicago and suburban Cook County on Monday, Oct. 19, with neighborhood sites opening at 9 a.m. as voters gained more options to cast ballots before the November election.
In Chicago, voting became available in all 50 wards. In suburban Cook County, the number of locations grew from six to 56. Suburban voters may use any early-voting site established by the Cook County Clerk’s office, and each site has a secure drop box for completed mail ballots.
Chicago’s ward locations are scheduled to remain open until 6 p.m. Monday; hours at suburban sites vary. Chicago voters can register or update their registration at early-voting locations. The city says its sites are accessible to voters with disabilities and provide language assistance. Voters can check the Chicago Board of Elections website for information about identification requirements.
The expansion follows weekend voting at a downtown supersite at Adams and State streets. Some voters there said they completed the process in under 10 minutes.
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said updated features in Election Lens, a system developed with election technology company KNOWiNK, help her office track equipment and mail ballots. She said the system can flag a mail carrier that appears to be missing or at the wrong location so staff can investigate and address the problem before polls open.
On Monday, faith leaders planned a get-out-the-vote event beginning at 11 a.m. at Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church in Bronzeville, followed by a march to an early-voting site at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center. More than 100 people were expected, including Gov. JB Pritzker.
Monday also marked the start of candidate petition and paperwork submissions for Chicago’s 2027 municipal and aldermanic elections. The ballot will include races for mayor, city clerk and treasurer. The municipal election is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2027.