Early Voting Expands to All 50 Chicago Wards as Suburban Cook County Sites Grow to 56
Chicago — In Chicago, a city in Cook County, Illinois, early voting expanded on October 19: early voting sites are now open in all 50 Chicago wards, and suburban Cook County sites have grown from 6 to 56, with suburban voters able to use any site rather than only their home precinct.
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said more than 200,000 voters in the county have requested mail ballots. The county is using a new "Election Lens" system, developed with KNOWiNK, that tracks mail ballots using USPS scanning data and e-pollbook data. Sites offer secure drop boxes, including one at Soldier Field under a partnership with the Chicago Bears.
Early voting and grace-period registration run through November 2, with Election Day on November 3. Chicago sites are ADA accessible and offer ballots in 12 languages; the mail-ballot application deadline is October 29. The Chicago Board of Elections is located at 69 W. Washington Street, Suite 600.
On community outreach, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) is running its Democracy Project this cycle with seven partner organizations mobilizing voters in Chicago and the suburbs, including the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. Ward sites are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays; the two downtown sites (the 137 S. State St. supersite and the Board of Elections office at 69 W. Washington St.) will stay open until 7 p.m. starting October 26. Governor JB Pritzker and his running mate Christian Mitchell joined faith leaders on October 19 in urging early voting. Chicago voters will also elect school board members, while Illinois ballots statewide include U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor.
Related: America's Electoral System (4): The Midterms: What Is on the Ballot on November 3, 2026
Related: Connecticut Opens 14 Days of In-Person Early Voting Through Nov. 1, Ahead of Nov. 3 Election Day
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：芝加哥市政厅（121 North LaSalle Street），美国历史建筑调查 HABS／国家公园管理局（公共领域）/ Photo: Chicago City Hall, Historic American Buildings Survey / National Park Service (Public Domain)
