Early voting in Chicago and all Illinois counties expands Monday, with more locations opening in the morning for voters looking to cast their ballots before Election Day.
In Chicago, this means early voting in all 50 wards. For suburban Cook County voters, the number of locations expands from six to 56. Early voting expansions begin in all Illinois counties, including all Chicago area counties, Monday. Click here for a complete list of early voting locations in the Chicago area.
Some counties also see more early voting sites added on a temporary basis as the month goes on to accommodate more voters. Most early voting sites turn into regular voting sites for Election Day in Illinois.
Some voters got a head start over the weekend at the Chicago supersite at Adams and State streets downtown. They said it took less than 10 minutes to vote.
Illinois voter guide for the 2026 midterm election
The expansion will give more people options to fit voting into their schedules before the November election.
The Chicago Board of Elections is in charge of voting in the city. The Cook County Clerk's office is in charge in suburban Cook County, where voters can use any of the early voting locations the office has set up.
Each suburban Cook County site will have a secure drop box for completed mail ballots.
In Chicago, voters can also register or update their registration at early voting sites. The Chicago Board of Elections website breaks down what identification to bring.
The city said all its early voting locations are accessible to voters with disabilities, with language assistance also available.
Meanwhile, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said Sunday that new innovations in its Election Lens technology, which was developed in partnership with the election security and technology company KNOWiNK, is helping her office monitor the voting process — from tracking equipment to following mail-in ballots.
"If a carrier appears to be missing or is at the wrong location, Election Lens can flag the issue so our team can investigate and work to resolve it before the polls open," Gordon said.
Chicago's ward sites will be open until 6 p.m. Monday. Suburban hours vary by location.
Later Monday morning, city election officials will hold a news conference about the early voting expansion and services available to voters.
As early voting expands, faith leaders on Chicago's South Side are encouraging people to vote. Starting at 11 a.m. Monday, they are holding a get-out-the-vote event at Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church, at 4235 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in Bronzeville. Afterward, participants will march to the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, about a block away at 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave., which is an early voting site.
More than 100 voters are expected to attend the Bronzeville event, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Also Monday, the Chicago Board of Elections will accept nominating petitions and related paperwork from candidates in the 2027 municipal and aldermanic elections. This includes candidates for Chicago mayor, city clerk, and treasurer.
The Chicago municipal election will be held Feb. 23, 2027.
