Driver Services

VOTER REGISTRATION

The Illinois Secretary of State's office does not register people to vote. It does, however, provide voter registration applications, which are forwarded to your local election authority for processing.

To be eligible to register to vote, you must:

• Be a United States citizen,
• Not be convicted of an offense and in jail,
• Be at least age 18 on or before the next election,
• Not claim the right to vote anywhere else, and
• Live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to the next election.

Applying in Person

When applying for or renewing your driver's license at a Secretary of State facility, you will be asked if you want to register to vote.

If you are already registered to vote, do not wish to register to vote or are ineligible to vote, answer NO.

If you wish to register to vote or to change your voting address, answer YES.

You will be given a voter registration application form to sign, along with a receipt. You must retain the receipt until you receive your voter card from your local election authority.

If you do not receive your voter registration card within 30 days, contact the local election authority listed on your receipt.

Receiving an Application Packet at Home

When renewing your driver's license by phone, the Internet or by mail as part of the Secretary of State's Safe Driver Renewal Program, you will be asked if you want to register to vote.

A packet of voter registration materials will be mailed to you only if you answer YES. Complete instructions for sending the completed materials to your local election authority will be included in the packet.

Note: If you apply to register to vote by mail, you cannot vote by absentee ballot in the next election.

Deadline to Register?

Although the Secretary of State's office forwards applications on your behalf at any time, if you apply to vote within 30 days of an election, your local election authority will not be able to process your registration until after the election, meaning you will not be eligible to vote in that election.