Voting In Oak Park And River Forest: Everything You Need To Know

OAK PARK, IL — Polls on Election Day are open until 7 p.m. Registered Oak Park area and suburban Cook County voters can only vote in their home precinct on Election Day, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office.

Oak Park residents must cast ballots at their designated polling place – click here to find your polling place. Village Hall is not a polling place on Election Day, village officials said. The village added that special social distancing guidelines are in place.

River Forest residents who intend to vote on Election Day must also do so in their precinct. The Village of River Forest asks that you please check your polling location by clicking here as the location may have changed from previous elections.

>> Find your assigned polling place with the Your Voter Information tool.

However, residents who aren't registered to vote can register and vote on Election Day through same-day registration and voting. If you wish to do so, you must have two qualifying forms of ID, according to the clerk's office.

Take a moment now to check your status. Vote411.org, a clearinghouse of election-related information from the League of Women Voters, has a handy look-up tool that lets you verify your voter registration in seconds.

Get all the forms and facts you need here.

Want more election news and information about the Oak Park-River Forest area? Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

Local races include the race for Cook County State's Attorney between Kim Foxx (Incumbent) (Democratic Party), and Pat O'Brien (Republican).

More information: The Village of Oak Park and cookcountyclerk.com

Related:

• GOP Believes O'Brien Could Unseat Foxx In State's Attorney Race
• Oak Park Early Voting, Ballot Drop Box Site For November Election
• Your Guide To Voting In Illinois
• Illinois Voters Asked To Decide 'Fair Tax': What You Need To Know

Voter registration

Not sure if you're already registered to vote? You can find out here.

Voter Registration 2020 In Illinois: 5 Things To Know

The basics

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Nov. 3 (in person)
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 17 (received)

Voting in person

• If you've voted in Illinois before, you don't need to provide ID to vote
• You may need an ID if:
  • You registered to vote by mail and did not provide ID
  • An election judge challenges your right to vote.
  • If you are also registering to vote or changing your registration address on the day that you vote
• Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• If you are already in line to vote when the polls close, you still have the right to cast your ballot
• Where to vote: Find your polling place here (you can also find this and a sample ballot on your county clerk's website).
• Staying safe: Aside from wearing a mask and staying 6 feet away from other voters, you can also minimize risk by voting early to avoid long lines to vote.

You Can Vote Safely In Person Despite Coronavirus. Here's How.

What and who are on the ballot?

• Fair tax amendment: This "yes or no" ballot initiative will ask voters to approve a change to the state constitution that will allow lawmakers to set a graduated income tax rather than the flat tax that currently exits.
• Presidential race: While the ballot contains candidates from the Green party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, American Solidarity party and Libertarian party, it comes down to President Donald Trump/Vice President Mike Pence vs. Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden/U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris.
• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Democrat Dick Durban faces off against Republican Mark C. Curran Jr., Willie Wilson (of the Willie Wilson Party), Green party candidate David F. Black and Libertarian Danny Malouf.
• See above for local races.

What to do with your mail-in ballot

• Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3, or they will not be counted. If a ballot envelope is placed in a mail drop box on or near Election Day, that envelope may be postmarked late and will not be eligible to be counted.
• >> Where are the mail-in ballot drop boxes? Suburban Cook County
• Chicago/Cook County

More: Illinois Election 2020