Want to vote Tuesday? Here’s how to do it

Voters will decide Tuesday which candidates from the major political parties will advance to the general election in November for federal, state and county offices.

Here is what you need to know to vote:

Can I vote?

If you are registered, yes.

Can I still register?

Yes. New voters can register on Election Day at designated polling places. You must bring two forms of valid identification, including a piece of mail that shows a current address.

If you don’t have proper identification, you can cast a provisional ballot. But you must show proper identification to your election authority within seven days.

A voter must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days before Election Day, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. People who are 17 may vote in the primary if they will be 18 by the Nov. 3 general election.

Where do I vote?

Your one-stop shop is the polling place locator on the Illinois State Board of Elections website at ova.elections.il.gov/PollingPlaceLookup.aspx.

Or you can look it up at cookcountyclerk.com, in DuPage County at dupageco.org, in Kane County at kanecountyclerk.org, in Lake County at lakecountyil.gov, in McHenry County at mchenrycountyil.gov and in Will County at willcountyclerk.gov.

If you live in DuPage, Lake or Kane counties, you can vote in any polling place.

When can I vote?

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day.

Do I need to show ID?

Only in two circumstances. First, if the election judges don’t believe your signature on the voting application matches the signature they have on file for your registration, they can require you to show ID, according to Matt Dietrich, public information officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Secondly, if you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and did not submit your driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of your Social Security number, or other form of identification, you will must present ID showing your name and address before voting.

Election judges can also ask for you to voluntarily show an ID to expedite looking up your information, but they must explain that’s why they are doing it, Dietrich added.

What races will be on my ballot?

Candidates in this election are running to become judges, county board members, county officials, state legislators, congressional representatives, U.S. senator and precinct committeemen.

Some voters will be asked to weigh in on referendum questions on various issues, including requests to increase property taxes and build facilities.

I voted early, but I want to change my votes. Can I do that?

Nope.

Can I still return a vote-by-mail ballot?

You can if you get it postmarked by Tuesday or bring it to the election authority’s secure drop box.

However, just because you put your ballot in a mailbox on Tuesday does not mean it will be postmarked that day. To ensure you get a postmark, bring the ballot to the counter at a post office or retail postal station and ask a clerk to manually postmark it.

I received a ballot by mail, but I want to vote in person Tuesday instead. Can I do that?

Yes. Bring the ballot to a polling place and surrender it to election judges. If you forget or have misplaced your mail-in ballot, you can fill out a provisional ballot, which won't be counted until two weeks after the election.

Don’t even think about voting both by mail and in person. That’s a felony.

Can I vote for both Republican and Democratic candidates?

No. In Illinois, you can only vote in one party’s primary per election.

Do I need to pick a party to vote in a referendum?

No. You can request a nonpartisan ballot that only contains referendum questions.

Can I bring news articles, notes or guides with me when I vote?

Yes.

Who should I call if I suspect voter fraud, intimidation at a polling place or other issues?

Voters can report problems to the attorney general’s office at (866) 536-3496. You can also call (866) 687-8683, a hotline staffed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. A Spanish/English line is available at (888) 839-8682.

Some counties have hotlines. For example, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s election hotline is (630) 407-8118. In Kane County, call the state’s attorney at (630) 208-5328, or the Kane County sheriff at (630) 232-6840.

Where can I find election results?

Visit dailyherald.com or county clerk websites for more localized information.