Voting Procedures

This is the first presidential election since Chicago's conversion to the optical scan and touch screen systems. Many voters only vote in presidential years, so this will be the first use of the machines, likely for hundreds of thousands of voters.

For that reason, the Board of Elections sent a mailing to 1.1 million voter households to detail all of the changes with this election:

the option of Early Voting (first time in a presidential year)

the polling place location

information on how to use the newer equipment

that this primary will be the earliest ever in Illinois: on Feb. 5

If voters want to check their voter registration, they may visit chicagoelections.com if they live in the city or voterinfonet.com if they live in the suburbs of Cook County. In the collar counties, they may check with their local election authorities.

If voters want to know their polling places, they may:

refer to the red-white-and-blue mailing

visit Chicago Board of Elections web site

Chicago voters may call 312.269.7900

Suburban Cook County voters may call 312-603-0906

The Chicago Board of Election saw a record last-minute rush of more than 31,000 registrations in the final five days of registration.

The previous high for a presidential primary was less than 3,000. There has never been so much interest.

They also saw a record in the "grace period" registrations after the deadline -- where by law, people had to come in person and register and vote all at once. We had 2,600+, up more than 67% from the previous record of 1,500.

For those who haven't registered by now, all of the deadlines, even the special safety net "grace period" has passed. Registration for the November election will re-open on Feb. 6.

For more information:

chicagoelections.com

voterinfonet.com