Mail-in ballots are here to stay, Illinois.
Record-setting requests
for them during the 2020 general election — amid the COVID-19 pandemic — led to
Gov. J.B. Pritzker
signing a bill in 2021 to make them permanent fixtures
in state elections. Anyone who has
requested a mail-in ballot
should receive it soon. Nov. 3 is the deadline to request a mail-in
ballot, and Nov. 8 — Election Day — is the latest date a mail-in ballot
can be postmarked to be counted. Returning these ballots is easy — there are
several options (just remember that once a mail-in ballot has been received by
an election jurisdiction, it cannot be returned):
Drop it off with local election officials: Check your jurisdiction for
details.
Mail it back: It’s free to mail your ballot via the U.S. Postal Service —
no postage required.
Surrender your ballot: Want to vote in person instead? Just take the
mail-in ballot to any early voting site or your Election Day precinct polling
place and exchange it for a new ballot.
Drop box: These secured locations — both free-standing and at early
voting sites — accept ballots prior to Election Day, Nov. 8.
So, where are these ballot drop boxes located?
Jurisdictions choose where and when drop boxes are available. Many are located
inside early voting venues that are only available during select days and hours.
Others are free-standing and open without interruption — and under surveillance
for added security — until Election Day. Ballots should be returned to the
jurisdiction that issued them — for example, voters in Chicago should return
ballots to drop boxes located in Chicago, voters in suburban Cook County should
return ballots to drop boxes offered by the Cook County clerk, and so on. Use
the map and listings below to help find the drop box in your jurisdiction that
is closest to you.
Locations of drop boxes and hours of operation are subject to change, so
check with your local jurisdiction for latest information.
Jump to your jurisdiction
Mail-in ballot drop-off locations, by jurisdiction
Type your address into the search box below to find the closest drop box.
Sources: Tribune reporting; state and local election boards
Chicago
Jurisdiction:
Chicago Board of Election Commissioners
Suburban Cook County
Jurisdiction:
Cook County Clerk’s office
DuPage County
Jurisdiction:
DuPage County Election Commission
Kane County
Jurisdiction:
Kane County Clerk
Lake County
Jurisdiction:
Lake County Clerk
McHenry County
Jurisdiction:
McHenry County Clerk
Will County
Jurisdiction:
Will County Clerk