Early voting locations open in Chicago

CHICAGO - Early voting began for Chicagoans this morning at two locations downtown.

Chicago residents lined up to cast their ballots at the voting supersite at 191 N. Clark St., and the Board of Education Offices on the sixth floor of 69 W. Washington St.

Until Oct. 27, both voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

From Oct. 28 leading into Election Day, their open hours on weekdays are extended to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

James Laidler moved from the United Kingdom to Rogers Park in Chicago 10 years ago and recently became an American citizen. 

"This a culmination of my journey to citizenship here in the US, it’s nice to be able to be part of my first presidential election," Laidler said

Early voting at local polling places in all 50 of Chicago's wards opens at 9 a.m. on Oct. 21. Local election officials said any Chicago voter is eligible to cast their ballot at any Early Voting site in the city, regardless of their local polling place.

"There’s been a surge of new registrations from people age 18 to 35. Since June 1, we have seen over 49,000 new voter registrations. The majority of new registrations are women and primarily, young women," Chairwoman of the Chicago Board of Elections Marisel Hernadez said.

Voters can apply for a vote by mail ballot until Oct. 31. They can register to vote through Election Day, Nov. 5 Election officials advise, make a plan to vote and do it soon.

Here's where Chicagoans can cast their ballots early on Oct. 21:

• Ward 1 Goldblatts Building 1615 W. Chicago Ave.
• Ward 2 Near North Library 310 W. Division St.
• Ward 3 Dawson Technical Institute 3901 S. State St.
• Ward 4 Dr. Martin Luther King Center 4314 S. Cottage Gr.
• Ward 5 Southside YMCA 6330 S. Stony Island Ave.
• Ward 6 Whitney Young Library 415 E. 79th St.
• Ward 7 Trumbull Park 2400 E. 105th St.
• Ward 8 Olive Harvey College 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.
• Ward 9 Palmer Park 201 E. 111th St.
• Ward 10 Vodak- East Side Library 3710 E. 106th St.
• Ward 11 McGuane Park 2901 S. Poplar Ave.
• Ward 12 McKinley Park Library 1915 W. 35th St.
• Ward 13 Clearing Library 6423 W. 63rd Pl.
• Ward 14 Archer Heights Library 5055 S. Archer Ave.
• Ward 15 Brighton Park Community Campus (Park No. 596) 4830 S. Western Ave.
• Ward 16 Lindblom Park 6054 S. Damen Ave.
• Ward 17 Thurgood Marshall Library 7506 S. Racine Ave.
• Ward 18 Wrightwood Ashburn Library 8530 S. Kedzie Ave.
• Ward 19 Mt Greenwood Park 3721 W. 111th St.
• Ward 20 Bessie Coleman Library 731 E. 63rd St.
• Ward 21 West Pullman Library 830 W. 119th St.
• Ward 22 Toman Library 2708 S. Pulaski Rd.
• Ward 23 Hall-St Faustina Kowalska Parish 5157 S. McVicker Ave.
• Ward 24 St Agatha Catholic Parish 3151 W. Douglas Bv.
• Ward 25 Rudy Lozano Library 1805 S. Loomis St.
• Ward 26 Humboldt Park Library 1605 N. Troy St.
• Ward 27 Union Park Field House  1501 W. Randolph St.
• Ward 28 West Side Learning Center 4624 W. Madison St.
• Ward 29 Amundsen Park 6200 W. Bloomingdale Ave.
• Ward 30 Kilbourn Park 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave.
• Ward 31 Portage Cragin Library 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
• Ward 32 Bucktown-Wicker Park Library 1701 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• Ward 33 American Indian Center 3401 W. Ainslie St.
• Ward 34 UIC Student Center East 750 S. Halsted St.
• Ward 35 Northeastern IL University El Centro 3390 N. Avondale Ave.
• Ward 36 West Belmont Library 3104 N. Narragansett Ave.
• Ward 37 West Chicago Library 4856 W. Chicago Ave.
• Ward 38 Hiawatha Park 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
• Ward 39 North Park Village Admin Building 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
• Ward 40 Budlong Woods Library 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
• Ward 41 Roden Library 6083 N. Northwest Hw.
• Ward 42 Maggie Daley Park Fieldhouse 337 E. Randolph St.
• Ward 43 Lincoln Park Library 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.
• Ward 44 Merlo Library 644 W. Belmont Ave.
• Ward 45 Kolping Society of Chicago 5826 N. Elston Ave.
• Ward 46 Truman College 1145 W. Wilson Ave.
• Ward 47 Welles Park 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
• Ward 48 Broadway Armory 5917 N. Broadway Ave.
• Ward 49 Willye B White Park 1610 W. Howard St.
• Ward 50 Northtown Library 6800 N. Western Ave.

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Illinois voting guide: What you need to know

Election Day is fast-approaching. Here's everything you need to know about registering, voting and ballot races in Illinois.

How to register to vote in Illinois

There are several ways to register to vote in Illinois. 

You can register online through the Illinois State Board of Elections website if you have a valid Illinois driver's license or state ID card and the last four digits of your social security number.

You can also register to vote by mail by obtaining a mail-in voter registration form from your local election authority or by downloading one from the Illinois State Board of Elections website. 

Additionally, you can register to vote in person at your local election authority's office, at certain state agencies, or at any Illinois Secretary of State office when applying for or renewing a driver's license or state ID card.

Eligible voters can also register to vote at polling places on Election Day.

Illinois residents can register to vote at any of the following locations:

• County Clerk's Office
• Board of Election Commissioner's Office
• City and Village Offices
• Township Offices
• Schools
• Public Libraries
• Military Recruitment Offices
• Online

To register to vote, you will need the following forms of identification, according to the State Board of Elections:

Two forms of identification with at least one showing your current residence address are needed when you register in-person. 

If you register by mail, sufficient proof of identity is required by submission of your driver's license number or State identification card number. 

If you do not have either of those, verification by the last 4 digits of your social security number, a copy of a current and valid photo identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address will be required. 

People may prove their identity by submission of an identification card issued by a college or university accompanied by either a copy of the applicant's contract or lease for a residence or any postmarked mail delivered to the applicant at their current residence address.