In the voting booth on Nov. 6, Americans have the chance to choose their representatives in Springfield and in Washington. But before they cast their votes, voters need to complete one hurdle: voter registration.
While Oct. 9 was the final day for regular and mail-in voter registration for citizens of Illinois, citizens who will be 18 years old by Election Day have until Oct. 21 to register online and until Nov. 6 to register in person.

Online voter registration: To register online, prospective voters can fill out the Illinois Online Voter Registration Application at ova.elections.il.gov. Voters will need a valid driver’s license or state identification card, as well as the last four digits of their Social Security number to complete registration.
Early voting in-person registration: During the early voting period, from Oct. 22 through Nov. 5, voters can register on-site, as long as they can provide two forms of identification, one of which must prove the voter’s residence. A list of acceptable forms of identification can be found on the Chicago Board of Elections website. The University of Chicago Reynolds Club will serve as an early voting site from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Election day registration: As with early voting, voters will need to provide two pieces of identification at their polling place in order to register on election day. Voters can find their polling place by clicking here.