To find out whether you are registered to vote in Illinois, use the free Registration Lookup at ova.elections.il.gov. Enter your first and last name, date of birth, zip code, and street address, and the tool checks the statewide voter database and returns your status in seconds.1Illinois State Board of Elections. Illinois Online Voter Registration Application – Registration Lookup
If you’d rather not use the website, call or visit your County Clerk’s office. In Chicago and some other jurisdictions, that office is the Board of Election Commissioners. Staff can pull your record, confirm the address on file, and tell you which precinct you’ve been assigned to.
What the Lookup Result Means
The tool returns one of three results, and each one means something different for your next step.
Active. You are fully registered and can vote at your assigned polling place with no further action.
Inactive. Your registration has not been canceled. Election authorities mark voters inactive when a mailed registration card comes back undeliverable, which usually means you moved. You can still vote. On election day, you confirm your current address at the polling place and cast a regular ballot, and that reactivates your record.
No record found. You are not registered under the information you entered. Before you assume the worst, try variations: a maiden name, a hyphenated name, or an older address. Registrations can also be canceled if you failed to respond to an address confirmation notice and then missed two consecutive federal general elections. If none of the variations work, you’ll need to register, and Illinois gives you several ways to do that.
Who Qualifies to Register
You can register to vote in Illinois if you are a U.S. citizen, will be at least 18 by election day, and have lived in your election district for at least 30 days before the election.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/3-1 – Qualifications for Registration Seventeen-year-olds who will turn 18 by the general election can register and vote in the preceding primary.3Justia Law. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5 Art 3 – Qualification of Voters
A felony conviction does not permanently bar you. You lose the right to vote only while you are serving a sentence in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. If you’re on probation or parole, awaiting trial, or have completed your sentence, you can register.
How to Register if You’re Not
Online
The fastest path is the online portal at ova.elections.il.gov. You’ll need an Illinois driver’s license or state ID, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and the date your ID was issued. The system verifies your identity against Secretary of State records in real time.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5 – Online Voter Registration The same portal handles name and address changes if you’re already registered but your record is out of date.
Paper Form
If you don’t have an Illinois driver’s license or state ID, download a paper form from the State Board of Elections or pick one up at a local election office.5Illinois State Board of Elections. Voting Registration Forms The form asks for your legal name, residential address, and either your driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/1A-16 – Voter Registration Information Every detail should match your ID exactly; mismatches cause delays.
Mail the form to your County Clerk, your Board of Election Commissioners, or the State Board of Elections at 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, IL 62704, which will forward it to the right local office.5Illinois State Board of Elections. Voting Registration Forms Once processed, you’ll receive a voter identification card by mail. If it hasn’t arrived in two weeks, follow up with your County Clerk or Board of Election Commissioners.7Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Illinois Voter Registration Application
Grace Period Registration
If the mail and online deadlines have already passed, you can still register in person during the grace period, which runs from 27 days before the election through election day itself.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/4-50 – Grace Period Starting 27 days out, go to your local election authority’s office. Starting 15 days out, early voting sites also accept grace period registrations. On election day, you can register and vote at your assigned polling place.
Bring two forms of identification that show your name and current address. A driver’s license plus a utility bill or bank statement is a common pairing. You register and vote in the same visit; the grace period ballot is held and counted after your registration is verified. Grace period registration also handles address changes if you moved within Illinois.
Registration Deadlines at a Glance
- By mail: postmarked or delivered no later than 28 days before the election.7Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Illinois Voter Registration Application
- Online: 11:59 p.m. on the 16th day before the election.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5 – Online Voter Registration
- Grace period (in person): 27 days before the election through election day.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 10 ILCS 5/4-50 – Grace Period
You May Already Be Registered Without Knowing It
Illinois runs an automatic voter registration program through several state agencies, including the Secretary of State. When you apply for a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license and show citizenship documents like a birth certificate or passport, you are registered to vote unless you opt out. Standard, non-REAL ID transactions ask whether you want to register and require you to affirm eligibility. Either path checks whether you’re already on the rolls and lets you update your information.9Illinois State Board of Elections. Automatic Voter Registration That’s why the lookup tool sometimes shows an active record you don’t remember creating.
If You Registered by Mail and Haven’t Voted Before
Federal law requires first-time Illinois voters who registered by mail to show identification the first time they vote in a federal election. In person, bring a photo ID or a document showing your name and current address. By mail, enclose a copy of one of those documents with your ballot. The requirement doesn’t apply if you provided a driver’s license number on your registration form that was successfully matched to state records.