Natalia Chi
Early voting for the upcoming 2023 Chicago City Council elections, which includes all 50 city council members, a new police district council and nine mayoral elections, is now underway with 9,440 votes cast as of February 2. A vote is taking place.electoral
According to Chicago election officials, the majority of ballots cast (7,909 votes to be exact) were by mail ballots.
In Chicago, registered voters can choose to vote by mail forever. That is, ballots are “sent directly to the address of your choice before every election.” Council saysIn addition, those who have signed up to receive a vote-by-mail ballot will receive email communications when the ballot has been successfully returned to the Electoral Commission and when the ballot has been processed and counted. .
Mail-in ballots are currently available for the February 28 election, but there are important dates to be aware of and certain steps required to ensure that your votes are counted.
As Election Day approaches, here’s a step-by-step guide to voting by mail for the 2023 Chicago election.
Step 1. Make sure you are registered to vote in Chicago
To vote by mail in the 2023 Chicago elections, you need to make sure your voter registration is up to date.
You can check if you are registered to vote in Chicago by using this tool.
If you need to renew your voter registration, you can do so in person when you get your new driver’s license at an early voting location, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Driver’s Facility. online.
If you want to complete the registration process online, the deadline for the February 28th election is February 12th.
Step 2. Complete the Mail-in Ballot Application Online
In Chicago and Illinois, any registered voter can request a ballot by mail in any election. In addition, Chicago voters can request participation in a “permanent mail ballot roll,” which automatically sends ballots for all upcoming elections to their registered address.
In any case, voters Vote by Mail Application beginning. The last day the Board will receive new ballot applications by mail is February 23.
You will receive a confirmation email after your application has been received and when your ballot has been mailed, according to the board.
Mail-in ballots began arriving in the mailboxes of those who registered on Jan. 19, according to the board.
Step 3: Vote!don’t forget to sign the ballot
Has your ballot been mailed? It’s time to fill in. However, be sure to “follow all instructions that come with your ballot,” including how to sign it, mail it, and drop it off.
Additionally, ballots must be filled out with a “sign-up pen,” the board said. “Do not use red pens, as red ink cannot be read by ballot scanners,” added the board.
Step 4: Return your ballot by the deadline
There are several ways for Chicago voters to return their vote-by-mail ballots.
- through the U.S. Postal Service
- and secure dropbox At an early voting location in Chicago before Election Day (early voting locations have drop-boxes, but electoral district polling locations do not on Election Day)
- Personal delivery to Election Board, 69 W. Washington, Sixth Floor
Confirmation emails will be sent to voters after ballots have been received and when ballots have been processed and counted, according to election officials.
According to the Board, the postmark expiration date for vote-by-mail ballots is February 28. Additionally, as required by law, vote-by-mail ballots postmarked after March 1st cannot be counted.
But as long as the ballots are postmarked by February 28, the ballots won’t arrive at the board to be counted in the election until March 14, officials said. .
What if I want to vote directly instead?
If you requested a vote-by-mail ballot but did not vote by mail, you may bring your mail-in ballot to an early voting site, abandon your ballot, and then vote in person for a new ballot.
However, if the ballot has already been returned to the board, it “cannot be retried or withdrawn.”
“The same voter may vote at the polling place on Election Day unless he brings his vote-by-mail ballot (or part thereof) to an election judge or completes an affidavit stating that the voter has not received a vote-by-mail ballot. You can’t vote in person, it’s been received and lost, ”says the board.
Contact for questions
You can contact the Chicago Board of Elections at 312-269-7967. Click here for details.
