Early voting began Oct. 19, 2026, in all 50 Chicago wards ahead of the Midterm General Election on Nov. 3, 2026. Chicago voters can cast a ballot before Election Day at the location most convenient to them anywhere in the city.
Any voter registered in Chicago can vote at any Early Voting site/Vote Center, regardless of which part of the city they live in. Voters can choose the most convenient
location, including on Election Day.
All Early Voting sites meet ADA requirements and are accessible to voters with disabilities.
During Early Voting in all 50 wards, voters can also register to vote or update their voter information. This will also be possible on Election Day, Nov. 3, at all polling places. People registering or
updating their information in person should check the current requirements for identification documents at chicagoelections.gov.
Early Voting Locations and Hours in Chicago’s 50 Wards
From Monday, Oct. 19, through Monday, Nov. 2, 2026,
Early Voting will be available in all 50 Chicago wards during the
following hours:
Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sundays: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Early Voting in Downtown Chicago
Early voting sites downtown, including the Chicago Board of Elections Super Site (137 S. State Street) and the Chicago Board of Elections office (69 W. Washington Street, 6th floor), remain open for early voting during the same hours as above, except during the week of Oct. 26 through Nov. 2, when they will be open until 7:00 p.m.
On General Election Day, Nov. 3, the downtown early voting Super Site and all 50 early voting sites across the city of Chicago will be converted into Universal Early Voting Vote Centers and will be
open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 3, early voting at the Board of Elections office will be closed.
Early Voting on University Campuses – Locations and Hours
Early Voting sites will be open on select Chicago university campuses, including Chicago State University, Northeastern Illinois University, the University of Illinois Chicago (Student Center East) and the University of Chicago (Reynolds Club).
From Wednesday, Oct. 28, through Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, Early Voting on university campuses will be available during the following hours:
Daily: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
NEXT STEP: PLAN HOW YOU WILL VOTE
Chicago voters can also use the following ways to vote:
• Election Day voting: On Tuesday, Nov. 3, all 1,291 polling places in
Chicago’s 50 wards will be open to voters. At all polling
places, voting will take place from 6:00–7:00 p.m.
• Vote by Mail:
Chicago voters have until Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked no later than the end of Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026, and returned to the Chicago Board of Elections.
If voters choose not to return their ballot through the U.S. Postal Service, they can instead place the sealed and properly certified vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot envelope in one of the Chicago Board of Elections’ special secure drop boxes located at Early Voting sites.
This way, the ballot will be securely delivered to the Chicago Board of Elections and included in the vote count.
Full information on Early Voting, voter registration, polling place locations,
sample ballots and accommodations for voters with
disabilities is available at chicagoelections.gov.
