Suburban Cook County voters may now apply for mail ballots for the November 6, 2018 Gubernatorial Election, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Wednesday, August 8.
Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot using the online application at www.cookcountyclerk.com/VoteByMail. Ballots will be mailed beginning in early October.
“We have seen voting by mail grow exponentially in recent years – especially with the added convenience of being able to apply for a mail ballot entirely online,” Orr said. “With each election, the popularity of voting by mail has continued to increase among suburban Cook County residents, who have come to enjoy the simple, convenient option of casting their ballot from the privacy and comfort of their own home.
”Suburban Cook voters cast 87,987 ballots by mail in the November 2016 Presidential Election – an election where nearly 50 percent of all mail ballot requests came through the use of the Clerk’s online request tool.
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is November 1. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, November 6, and be received at the Cook County Clerk’s office within 14 days of Election Day.
The mail ballot application can be completed on either computers or smartphones/tablets.
- From your internet-connected device, simply visit www.cookcountyclerk.com/VoteByMail.
- Click “Apply,” read the instructions and then click “Continue.”
Applying online can take less than a minute – it is the most efficient method for voters and the Clerk’s Elections Division. To complete an online mail ballot application, you will need:
- Email address. (An email will be sent to confirm your application before processing can be completed.)
- Illinois driver’s license or state identification number.
- Last four digits of your Social Security Number.
- The address where you would like your ballot mailed.
The virtual mail ballot application is also available in Spanish, Hindi and Chinese, per the requirements of the Federal Voting Rights Act. After clicking “Apply,” voters may select their preferred language for the application and may request the same for their ballot. However, not all ballot styles are available in every precinct.
While applications will be accepted online, ballots must be delivered by U.S. mail and cannot be distributed or received electronically. An exception is allowed for overseas voters and members of the military.
Voters whose registration does not currently include their driver’s license/state ID and/or Social Security Number may need to contact our office to update their registration before using the online application.
Voters may also download, print and sign a paper application and send it to: Cook County Clerk’s office, Mail Voting Unit, 69 W. Washington St., Room 500, Chicago, IL 60602.
Suburban Cook County voters can always check their voter registration status and other voter information at www.cookcountyclerkcom/VoterInfo. Suburban Cook County Voters with questions should contact the Clerk’s Mail Voting team at 312.603.0946 or [email protected].
