Knowledge Base

How to register to vote:

• Register to vote online: If you have an Illinois Driver's license or State ID, you may register online through the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

• Register to vote in-person: The City of Evanston City Clerk's are registered Voter Registrar's and may register you to vote.

NOTE: You also must display two pieces of identification. Neither needs to be a photo ID, but one must include your current address.

To register to vote, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• At least 18 years old by Election Day
• A resident of your precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day

NOTE: You also must display two pieces of identification. Neither needs to be a photo ID, but one must include your current address.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Illinois Driver's license
• Illinois State ID
• Employee or Student ID
• Credit card
• Social security card
• Birth certificate
• Utility bill in applicant's name
• Mail postmarked to the applicant
• Valid U.S. passport
• Public aid ID card
• Lease or Rental contract

NOTE: In Illinois, you do not declare affiliation with a political party when you register to vote. In primary elections, you may choose to vote on a specific political party ballot on Election Day.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an election method in which voters rank candidates for an office in order of their preference (first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on). Ranking candidates is different from simply selecting one candidate or what is known as plurality voting. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. However, if there is no majority winner after counting the first choices, the race is decided by an instant runoff. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count for their next choice. This process continues until a majority winner, a candidate with more than half of the vote, wins.

Individuals who serve as deputy registrars play a vital role in the democratic process by registering people to vote. All deputy registrars working in Illinois are sponsored by a certified organization or state agency and have been trained by a county clerk's office or other election authority

A Cook County deputy registrar must be:

• Registered to vote in Cook County
• Trained by the Clerk's office
• 18 years old by the upcoming election day

Signing up Voters:

A recent change in state law now allows deputy registrars to sign up voters anywhere in Illinois — not only the jurisdiction where they live or were trained.

As a deputy registrar, you will verify the identity of the person registering to vote, complete the registration card and return it to one of our designated sites.

Registrars return the completed forms to the Cook County Clerk's office or the nearest township clerk's office within seven days. The Clerk's office then adds the names to the voter rolls and the new voters will each receive a voter identification card in the mail within a few weeks.

Sponsorship:

To become a deputy registrar, a sponsoring organization certified by the State Board of Elections must submit your name to the Clerk's office. Certified sponsors include community organizations, interest groups, churches, schools, unions, political parties and campaigns and local political organizations.

 If you have questions about an organization or want to know which ones are certified, call the Cook County Clerk's office at (312) 603-0987.

To have the City of Evanston Clerk's Office sponsor you please call 847-448-8189 or email us at cityclerk@cityofevanston.org. 

Training:

The Cook County Clerk's Office trains individuals who want to become Deputy Registrars in suburban Cook County at the request of their sponsoring organization.

Participants must attend an online training session and take the Deputy Registrar Oath.

If your bona fide state civic organization would like to sponsor individuals to become Deputy Registrars, please submit a letter of sponsorship to our office stating that your organization would like to sponsor the following individuals.

Please list all names and home addresses of those being sponsored by your organization in the letter.

The letter can be sent to our office via email, fax or US Mail at least one (1) day prior to the desired training date.

Deputy Registrars need to be sponsored by committeemen, local government agencies, labor unions, or bona fide state civic organizations certified by the State Board of Elections.  Click here to email our office to receive the link for the Deputy Registrar Online Training.

Training Manual:

Please click here to download a PDF of the deputy registrar training manual.

Official Deputy Registrar Identification:

Once you have been trained, you will be issued an official deputy registrar identification card and an ID number. This number MUST be put on all registrations you turn in.

Recommissions:

For deputy registrars being recommissioned by their sponsoring organization, click here to download the Deputy Voter Registrar Oath form. The term for recommissioned deputy registrars is from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2024.

Terms:

Deputy registrar commissions expire on November 30th of every even-numbered year.

Electioneering:

Deputy registrars are strictly forbidden from engaging in electioneering, which includes discussing politics, wearing buttons, handing out literature, or promoting a candidate or cause while signing up voters.

Deadlines:

Deputy registrars may register people to vote until the registration deadline — 27 days before an election.

Target voters:

Although there are several ways for people to register to vote, some 250,000 qualified individuals (U.S. citizens who are 18 or older) living in suburban Cook County remain unregistered. Those who may need to register include people who have recently moved, changed their name, become U.S. citizens or turned 18.

Deputy registrars can start by signing up friends and neighbors. Village fairs, picnics, religious events and block parties present ideal opportunities to conduct a voter registration event. Ask your organization about setting up a registration table at the next meeting or event.

Plan activities:

• Select a location. Always receive permission before setting up a registration area.

• Arrange for supplies. Make sure a table and chairs are available.

• Publicize the activity. You may want to print fliers or write a press release to promote the event. The Clerk's office can supply signs to post the day of the event.

 FAQs:

Q: Why do I need to be sponsored? Why can't I just sign up and be trained?

A: By law, deputy registrars must be sponsored by a state board of elections certified bona fide state labor, civic organization, school or corporation.

Q: Do I get paid for being a deputy registrar?

A: No, it is a volunteer position.

For further information please visit, Cook County Deputy Registrar website

Click here for Information About Serving as an Election Judge or Polling Place Technician

• Every election, more than 10,000 Election Judges in nearly 2,000 suburban Cook County precincts make sure polling place operations run smoothly and elections are carried out fairly, honestly, and accurately.
• Election Judges are responsible for supervising the conduct inside polling places and helping voters.
• Election judges can receive up to $170 every election. This includes working Election Day, successfully completing their training, and assisting with polling place set up before Election Day.

NOTE: The information on this website pertains only to Election Judges working in suburban Cook County.