Planning to vote Tuesday? Here’s what you need to know

A record number of voters cast their ballots early ahead of the midterm elections, but tens of thousands more are expected at the polls Tuesday.

In suburban Cook County, early voting was 30% ahead of where it was during the 2022 gubernatorial election, as of Oct. 27. About 139,000 people had voted early at 56 locations throughout the county, according to the county clerk. Another 83,700 mail ballots had been received by Oct. 26.

In DuPage County, as of the end of the day Wednesday, 53% more people had voted early — and almost 8% more mail-in ballots had been received — compared to 2022.

In Lake County, as of Friday afternoon, 105,273 people had voted early, more than 22% of the registered total.

For those waiting to cast their ballots on Election Day, here’s what you need to know:

When can I vote?

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Do I need to show ID?

There are only two scenarios where you can be required to show identification.

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.

You’ll also be asked to show an ID 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.

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.

What races will be on my ballot?

Governor and other statewide posts; judges; county board members; county officials; state legislators; congressional representatives; and U.S. senator.

Some voters will be asked to weigh in on ballot 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?

No.

Can I still vote by mail?

You can if your ballot is postmarked by Tuesday or brought into your local 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 and ask a clerk to manually postmark it immediately.

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

Yes. Bring the mail-in 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.

DO NOT vote both by mail and in person. That’s a felony.

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

Yes.

Can I take a picture of my completed ballot?

No. That’s a felony.

The election judge is writing something on my ballot!

Unlike what some fearmongering social-media posts say, not only are election judges allowed to write on your paper ballot, they must. They are required by state law to initial ballots, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

The initials verify that a ballot was officially issued. Ballots missing initials may be rejected. That happened in 2020 in DuPage County, where election judges at one polling place failed to initial 436 ballots.

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 also 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 results after the polls close Tuesday night.

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com