Early Voting
Any registered voter in Lake County may choose to vote early starting 15 days before the traditional Election Day. Check your voter registration status. Early voting ends the Monday before Election Day. Each voter has a convenient local site available for early voting. Each household with registered voters receives a postcard prior to the election listing early voting and Election Day sites for the addressee.

Beginning approximately 40 days before each election, confirm your voting site for both early voting and Election Day. You may view a picture of the building, see a map and view driving directions to your site. Also, view a sample of your official ballot online approximately 40 days before each election.

Voting By Mail
Any registered voter in Lake County may choose to vote by mail. Voters may submit an online request for a ballot or may mail an application for a ballot prior to Election Day. Voters may enroll in one of our programs offering the mailing of an application for a ballot to a specified address and for the elections selected.

Where do I vote?
Your voting site is determined by your precinct number and is listed on your Certificate of Voter’s Registration Card. Also included on your card are the districts and units of government for which you are entitled to vote; those common to all Lake County voters (countywide, statewide, U.S. Senate, and President) are not listed on the card due to space limitations.

All voting sites are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day and are handicap accessible.
Don’t have a Voter Registration card? Go to the Voter Power Page to check your voter registration status, find your voting site and print your Certificate of Registration.

What to Know Before Going to the Polls

  • All Election Day voting sites open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Refer to Early Voting for hours and locations for voting during the 15 day period.
  • If you are incapacitated, you may vote by mail or request curbside voting on Election Day. Call the County Clerk’s office at 847.377.2406 for more information.
  • Voters who registered by mail on the Federal Registration form, and do not provide sufficient proof of identity, must vote in person the first time they vote.
  • If you requested a ballot by mail, you may not be able to cast a ballot on Election Day.
  • If you vote early, you may not vote on Election Day.
  • If you damage or mark your ballot incorrectly or change your mind about your ballot choices when voting a ballot by mail, you may request another ballot and must return the spoiled ballot. Similarly, on Election Day, you may request a new ballot before your ballot is deposited in the ballot counter. No ballot may be retrieved from the ballot bin.
  • Cellular telephones should not be used to make calls in the voting site. Using a cellular telephone in the voting site may constitute electioneering, distract other voters or delay the voting process.
  • Write-in votes will count only for candidates who have filed a Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate.
  • Your ballot may be different than your closest neighbor’s ballot. Precinct boundaries and local government districts cannot always coincide and when they intersect, the ballots will contain different offices and candidates. Ballot styles are specific to those candidates and issues for which you are entitled to vote.
  • Illinois does not have a political party registration system. In a primary election, voters are required to declare a party to vote on party nomination ballots. If there are referenda or public questions, nonpartisan ballots are available and contain no partisan candidates.

Voter’s Bill of Rights
You have the right to:

  • Cast your ballot in a non-disruptive atmosphere free of interference.
  • Vote if you’re in line by 7 PM.
  • Vote by provisional ballot if your registration is not found.
  • Vote at your old polling place if you have moved within 30 days of the election.
  • Request assistance in voting, if qualified.
  • Bring newspaper endorsements or sample ballots into the voting booth, but take them with you when you finish voting.
  • Protect the secrecy of your ballot.
  • Receive a new ballot if you make a mistake or change your mind.
  • Screen your ballot after voting to ensure it’s complete and correct.
  • Have your ballot counted fairly and impartially.

If you believe these rights have been violated, call the Lake County Clerk’s office at 847.377.2328.