Early voting for the June 28th primary election begins next week.
City officials pushed back the date by one week – from May 19th – to accommodate recent changes to the ballot, including the removal of the city ward map referendum question, as well as perform all necessary ballot proofing and pre-election testing of voting machines.
On Monday, the Chicago City Council approved a new ward map – with 14 majority Hispanic wards and preserves 17 African American wards, including one with a Black plurality. Asian Americans, Chicago’s fastest-growing population, now form the majority in one ward for the first time, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Vote By Mail ballots that were scheduled to start being sent on this week will begin to ship to voters early next week.
Voters in Austin will have few contested races in which to cast their votes.
All the Illinois House of Representative seats are on the ballot, as are the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Incumbents Reps. La Shawn Ford and Camille Lilly have no challengers, nor does Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
But in the 7th Congressional District, longtime U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis is being challenged by two other Democrats, Kina Collins and Denarvis C. Mendenhall.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is being challenged by former Cook County Board Commissioner Richard R. Boykin.
Voters can cast their primary vote starting at 9 a.m. May 26 at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ supersite at 191 N. Clark (Lake & Clark). The supersite will be open from May 26th to June 28th (Election Day) for the following hours:
*Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
*Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*Election Day: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (June 28th)
There will be extended weekday hours for the supersite (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) from June 20th to June 24th. The supersite will be closed Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day.
Early voting in each of the 50 wards will begin June 13th through June 28th. All early voting locations and addresses can be found here.
All voters in Chicago may vote at any of these sites, no matter where they live in the city. Voter registration services (new voters, name changes and address updates) will be provided at all early voting sites. Two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter’s current address, are needed to register for the first time or to file a name change or an address update.
Voters with questions may contact (312) 269-7900 or email cboe@chicagoelections.gov.