These voting rights are taken directly from the Illinois Voter Information published by the Illinois State Board of Elections and most recently revised on October 16, 2006. They are offered as a public service.
- Your Voting Rights - Illinois (See Below)
- What to Do If You’ve Witnessed or Experienced a Violation of Voting Rights
- What You’re Not Allowed to Do as a Voter
- Instructions for First Time IL Voters Who Registered by Mail
Illinois Voter Rights
- Voters whose names do not appear on the poll list, or are unable to comply with the identification requirements for mail-in registrants, are entitled to vote by provisional ballot if they declare they are registered to vote in the jurisdiction and eligible to vote in the election.
- Voters who vote by provisional ballot are entitled to written information describing how they may learn, through a free access system, whether their provisional ballot was counted by election officials, and if it was not counted, why not.
- Voters who vote after the established time for polls to close due to a court order requiring the polls to remain open for extended hours will have to vote by provisional ballot (unless those voters were in line at the time polls closed).
- Voters whose voting status has been challenged by an election judge, a pollwatcher, or any legal voter and that challenge has been sustained by a majority of the election judges may vote provisionally.
- Voters who are registered to vote and who have moved within their election authority’s jurisdiction more than 30 days before an election for federal office may vote in that election (for federal offices) under the failsafe procedures set forth in NVRA. Such voters must vote in the polling place for the residence from which the voter most recently registered even if they did not advise the election authority of the move.
- Voters who have submitted to the appropriate election authority (either in-person or by mail) their completed registration application by the close of registration as permitted by state law, and such registration application has been determined to be valid by the election authority, are entitled to be registered and vote in that election.
- Voters are entitled to notice of the disposition of their voter registration application.
- Voters who are otherwise qualified to vote may be entitled to register and vote absentee in an election for if they are in the military or are residing overseas.
- Voters in jurisdictions with a statutorily-specified minimum number of voters who speak a primary language other than English may be entitled to receive a written ballot or other election materials or assistance in a language other than English.
- Voters who require assistance in voting due to blindness, disability or inability to read or write may receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice other than the voter’s employer or union (or agent thereof).
- Voters who are confined or detained in a jail or prison pending a trial are not disqualified from voting. Such confinement or detention is a specified reason for absentee voting.
- Jurisdictions must not apply standards or practices which deny or abridge the right to vote in violation of the U.S. or Illinois Constitution (denial on the bases of race, religion, gender, etc.).
- Jurisdictions must take steps to make the registration and voting process accessible to the elderly and to individuals with disabilities.
- Persons must not intimidate, threaten or coerce any other person for registering or voting; for urging or aiding persons in registering or voting; for purposes of interfering or influencing how a person chooses to vote; or for purposes of preventing a person from voting.
- Election officials must not unlawfully fail or refuse to permit a person to vote who is entitled to vote and must not refuse to tabulate, count and report such person’s vote.
- Election officials must retain and preserve for 22 months after any election that includes a federal candidate all records and papers relating to registration and voting in that election.