In-Person Absentee Voting

In-person absentee voting will be offered at 69 W. Washington St. on the Lower Level:
 - Sun., April 7 - 9 a.m. to noon
 - Mon., April 8 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What is Absentee Voting?

Voters may cast their ballots prior to Election Day -- either in person at an Early Voting location, or by mail through Absentee Voting.  Under Illinois law, any voter may use Absentee Voting or Early Voting.  Voters do not need a reason or excuse to use Absentee Voting or Early Voting.

March 8, 2013 is the first day that civilian voters in the United States may apply to cast an absentee ballot in the Special Election.  By law, a voter cannot submit an application by fax or email unless the voter is in the military or living overseas.

How to Vote Absentee / How to Vote by Mail 

Step 1.  Complete an absentee ballot application and return the completed application to the Election Board at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 600, Chicago IL 60602 by April 4, 2013.  The Election Board strongly recommends that voters submit their applications for absentee ballots in late March, well ahead of the deadline.

Absentee ballot applications also are available at the Board's offices for pick-up.  Voters also may call 312-269-7967 to ask to have absentee ballot applications mailed to them.

The completed application for absentee ballot must include the voter's name, signature and registration address, as well as the address where the absentee ballot should be mailed.

Upon receipt of the completed original application, the Election Board will mail an absentee ballot to the voter, or as soon as ballots are available from the printer.  Civilians in the United States must submit original signed applications. By law, civilians in the United States cannot submit applications that are faxed, photocopied or emailed.

Absentee voters whose applications do not arrive by the April 4 deadline must vote absentee in person at the Election Board or vote at the precinct polling place on Election Day.

NOTE: Chicago voters should submit their applications for absentee ballots directly to the Board of Election Commissioners, 69 W. Washington St., Ste. 600, P.O. Box 1179, Chicago IL 60690-1179 - and not to any other address.

Step 2.  Vote the absentee ballot and return it to the Election Board for processing.

Follow all enclosed instructions and make sure to vote in secret. A voted absentee ballot must be postmarked (or in the absence of a postmark, certified by the voter) on or before April 8 (at least one day before Election Day) in order to be counted. In addition, the Board must receive the returned ballot by April 23, 2013 for the ballot to be counted.

The ballot may be returned personally, by an immediate relative, by U.S. Mail or by a state licensed motor carrier (such as FedEx, UPS or DHL).

Once an absentee ballot has been returned to the Board, it cannot be retrieved or withdrawn. An absentee voter cannot vote in person in the polling place on Election Day unless he or she brings the absentee ballot (or a portion of it) to the election judges or completes an affidavit stating the absentee ballot was never received by the voter.

NOTE: Chicago voters should submit their voted absentee ballots directly to the Board of Election Commissioners, 69 W. Washington St., Ste. 600, P.O. Box 1179, Chicago IL 60690-1179 - and not to any other address.

Absentee Voting in Person at the Election Board
Any qualified voter may cast an absentee ballot in person in the offices of the Board of Election Commissioners the Sunday or Monday before the election.

In-Person Absentee Voting will be offered at 69 W. Washington St. on the Lower Level:
 - Sun., April 7 - 9 a.m. to noon
 - Mon., April 8 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Military/Civilian Overseas Voters
Click here for more information on voting for members of the armed services and civilians living overseas.

Absentee Voting: For Physical Disability
Certain voters may also qualify for special additional absentee voting privileges as explained below.

Five-Year DVI Card 
A voter with a permanent physical disability or a qualified nursing home resident may request a Disabled Voter's Identification Card (DVI), which is valid for all elections during a five-year period. The voter is automatically sent an absentee ballot application by the Board prior to each election. The voter must complete the DVI application and return it to the Board in order to receive an absentee ballot.

Residents of Licensed Nursing Homes
Voters residing in licensed nursing homes vote on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday preceding an election. Residents who are registered voters and who submit an absentee ballot application by the Thursday before the election are allowed to vote during the scheduled nursing home balloting. For complete information on nursing home voting procedures, contact the Board at 1-312-269-7865.

Hospitalized Voters
A registered voter who is hospitalized not more than 14 days before an election may request that an absentee ballot be delivered in person to him or her in the hospital. An affidavit must be completed by the voter, his or her attending physician, and the relative (or registered voter of the same precinct) who delivers the absentee ballot to the hospital. Contact the Absentee Department at 1-312-269-7967 for complete details on these procedures.

Absentee Voting Abuse
It is a felony in Illinois to vote more than once in the same election or to attempt to vote more than once in the same election.

Falsifying Eligibility for Absentee Ballots, Intimidation/Interference
Persons who knowingly make a false statement concerning their eligibility to vote absentee may be criminally prosecuted under Illinois law (10ILCS 5/29-10). Any person who intimidates or unduly influences another person to cast an absentee ballot in a manner inconsistent with the voter's intent or who marks or tampers with an absentee ballot of another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. Note: A physically incapacitated voter is entitled to assistance if that voter requests the assistance. Voters are forbidden by law from using multiple voting systems (Early Voting and Absentee Voting, for example) to change or undo a ballot for any reason.