Lake County Gazette

Tomorrow marks Election Day in Illinois, where residents who have not already voted early or by mail will head to the polls. The voting period extends from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and those in line before closing time will be allowed to vote even if there are delays.

Voters unsure of their polling locations can find this information on the State Board of Elections website. Identification requirements vary; registered voters who have participated in past elections typically need only their signature. However, first-time voters who registered by mail must present two forms of ID, one showing their current address.

Registration is possible on Election Day itself with identification and meeting certain criteria: being a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old for a Consolidated General Election, and having resided in the precinct for at least 30 days prior. Accepted IDs include photo identification, utility bills, bank statements, government checks, paychecks, leases or contracts for residence, student IDs with corresponding mail addressed to the voter’s residence, or other government documents.

For information about candidates and measures on the ballot, sample ballots are available through county election authority websites or the Illinois Voters Guide. Voters may bring written materials into booths for reference.

Poll workers provide instruction on voting machines using specimen ballots before entering booths if needed. Assistance is available for voters with disabilities from either election judges or someone chosen by the voter under specific conditions.

If a mailed ballot was received but not sent back, it must be brought to vote in person; otherwise, voting will proceed via provisional ballot only. Provisional ballots also apply if a voter's name does not appear on registration lists despite being sure of having registered in their precinct.

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