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Illinois absentee and mail ballot guide
Illinois absentee ballot overview
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your in ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
Illinois absentee deadlines
- Earliest day to apply: 90 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (online): 5 days before Election Day (only available in certain municipalities)
- Request deadline (by mail): Received 5 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 1 day before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Postmarked by Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day
Illinois absentee ballot rules
Any registered Illinois voter may request an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
Illinois online ballot request
Illinois does not allow you to request your ballot online.
Illinois by-mail ballot request
- Download the Illinois absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- The deadline to apply by mail is: Received 5 days before Election Day.
Illinois in-person ballot request
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is: 1 day before Election Day.
After you receive your ballot
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office. You can also hand-deliver your ballot to a state-provided drop box. Please check with your local election office if your county has a drop box. You can use our Find Out Where To Vote tool to find an official drop box.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked by Election Day.
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
Illinois absentee ballot ID requirements
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot: Online application: You can apply online if you have an Illinois driver's license number or Illinois state ID number. Paper application: The signature on your application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot: Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Illinois elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
State Board of Elections 2329 S. MacArthur Boulevard Springfield, IL 62704
External resources
- Illinois online voter registration
- Illinois voter status lookup
- Illinois provisional ballot tracker
- Illinois polling place locator