Illinois residents don’t have to wait for an application for a mail-in ballot. The Illinois State Board of Elections says you can submit your application online for the November General Election ballot now.
Board of Elections Spokesperson Matt Dietrich says you can plan ahead to vote safely this Fall. “Normally you would have to wait until August 5th before you could request your ballot. The election bill that was passed in May by the General Assembly makes it so that it is started immediately. You can go to our website and go to the ‘Information For Voters’ area and click on ‘Voting By Mail’. It will walk you through a process. You can find an online application for your particular election authority and request your ballot now. Ballots will begin to be mailed out on September 24th. That’s when early voting starts, and you don’t have to wait if you plan on voting by mail. You can get your application in now.”
Ballots will be mailed out by local election authorities on September 24th after third party and independent candidates have completed their filing periods. Early voting will begin once the ballots are mailed out. Visit elections.il.gov for more information.