On Election Day Tuesday, voters across Chicago will fan out to vote and 944 polling places will open their doors to those who have not yet cast their ballots by early voting or mailing them in.
With recent significant changes to Chicago’s electoral precinct map, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has said that approximately half of Chicago’s voters have been assigned to a new polling place this year.
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Because of all the changes, the potential for confusion and voters showing up at the wrong place seems more possible on this Election Day than in many others in recent years. In case you didn’t get to check your polling place assignment ahead of time, you still have options.
If your polling place has closed since the June 28 primary election, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners plans to post signage at former polling places with information on the correct location and other helpful resources.
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[ Attention Chicago voters: Find your new polling place for the 2022 general election on Nov. 8 ]
If you arrive at an open polling place but it isn’t the correct one for your address, election staff should be able to help you find your assigned polling place, according to Max Bever, spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. When you check in, an election judge should direct you to the correct polling place for your precinct.
Poll workers may also suggest you visit one of the 51 citywide early-voting locations, or “vote centers,” which will remain open on Election Day. You can find the full list of vote centers, all of which are open to any Chicago voter regardless of registration address, on the Chicago Board of Elections website.
If time or transportation constraints mean you can’t make it to a different polling location, you also have the option of casting a provisional ballot.
Bever called provisional ballots “the last safety net option,” as they differ from ballots found at local precincts and early-voting sites in key ways.
When voting with a provisional ballot, voters will be directed to a touch screen that allows them to enter their voter information to pull up the races on their specific ward and precinct ballot.
Voters will make their selections on the touch screen and then the completed ballot will be printed. But instead of being counted in the ballot-counting machine after being filled out, it is sealed in a provisional ballot envelope and counted after Election Day.
As provisional ballots can also be used if someone’s identity is questioned at a polling place, they undergo a separate adjudication process in which the board will reach out to ask the voter to provide verification of residence. This happens within seven days of the election, and voters can track the status of their ballot online to ensure that it was counted.
Election judges should be able to help you with any questions you may have about how to obtain a provisional ballot and fill it out.
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To learn more about the key issues and races on the ballot this Tuesday, check out the Tribune’s midterm voter guide. If you are still experiencing difficulty accessing the polls on Election Day, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners will take calls at 312-269-7870.
Kinsey Crowley is a freelance reporter.
