CAIR-Chicago

View Original

ACTION ALERT: Make a plan to vote in the April Consolidated Elections

Consolidated Elections occur on the first Tuesday of April during every odd year in Illinois. This year, the Consolidated Election is being held on Tuesday, April 6th, 2021. During the Consolidated Election, citizens have the opportunity to vote for city councils, mayor, school boards, park boards and other local elected officials.

There is NO consolidated election for the City of Chicago.

Why is it important to vote?

From RockTheVote:

  1. Local government manages a lot of different things — and their decisions will directly affect your life: There is no level of government that is more directly responsible for serving your community than your local elected officials. Local government can affect almost every aspect of your daily life.

  2. State and local governments lead the way when the federal government isn’t: By voting in local elections and holding your officials accountable, you can help create the change you want to see in our country. If nothing is moving forward at the federal level (or your federal representatives aren’t making progress in areas that you care about), it’s the responsibility of local governments to take action.

  3. Your vote will make a difference: Typically, just 1 in 5 voters participate in off-year local elections — meaning your vote at the local level can have an even bigger impact.

How do I register to vote?

You can still register to vote in-person. To find polling places in your county offering grace period in-person registration, visit this page. Some counties offer in-person voter registration on Election Day at all precincts, while others only offer it at certain locations.

How do I vote?

Vote by Mail: Vote by mail has already begun! The last day to request a mail-in ballot is 4/1 and all ballots must be postmarked by 4/6. Anyone can request a mail-in ballot by filling out the application found at this page

Early in-person Voting: Early voting will end on 4/5, the day before the election. To find early voting locations and hours near you, click on your county’s name:

Cook County

DuPage County

Kane County

Kendall County

Lake County

McHenry County

Will County

All Illinois Residents

In-person Voting on Election Day: To find the location and hours for your polling place on Election Day, visit this page.

How can I see my ballot ahead of time?

To see an unofficial interactive online ballot with candidate previews, visit BallotReady. To view your official sample ballot, click on the name of your county:

Cook County

DuPage County

Kane County

Kendall County

Lake County

McHenry County

Will County

All Illinois Residents

What if I have more questions about the upcoming election?

Your best resource is always your county election website, which can be found here. We will also make sure to send out updates with any relevant information leading up the election!