Oak Park: This Is What Your Ballot Will Look Like In November

Today marks one month until this year’s presidential elections.

Yes, you read that right — just one more month until this campaign craziness is over (well, kind of). It crept up on us, between the presidential debates, drama and social media feuds that have characterized this campaign season, but it’s almost here.

So it’s time you were 100 percent up-to-date on your candidates and the voting processes around you, whether that’s registering locally or applying for an absentee ballot out-of-state. Either way, Patch has you covered.

Registering to vote in Oak Park

The local election authority in Oak Park is the Oak Park Village Clerk. Oak Park Village Hall is open Monday through Friday for registration from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. However, some local registration places won’t accept registration less than a month before the election, so it might be safer to check out some of the other Cook County locations.

To search for a registration location by your address, visit the Cook County Clerk’s website.

Am I eligible to register?

If you’re over 18 years old, a U.S. citizen who can only vote in the U.S., not in jail and live in your election precinct for a month before the election, you’re eligible.

When’s the last day I can vote to register?

In Cook County, it’s Tuesday, Oct. 11, if you’re voting in person.

I don’t know if I’m registered or not.

Easy fix. Visit the Cook County Clerk’s elections website and input your information to check.

I can’t register by the deadline!

Lucky for you, Cook County offers a “grace period” for voter registration. If you’re a voter who changed your address before the traditional deadline, if your voter information isn’t up-to-date by the deadline or if you couldn’t register for some other reason, you’re still eligible to register within the grace period starting Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Can I vote out-of-county, -country or -state?

Yes. If you’re registered to vote, you can vote through an absentee ballot that’s mailed to you. Read more about voting through the mail here.

I still have questions.

No worries — the Cook County Clerk’s elections website is thorough. Check out all of their voting information here.

The candidates in Oak Park

Below is a snapshot of a sample ballot for an Oak Park resident, thanks to Ballotpedia. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with your local candidates.