Oscar Gomez/Borderless MagazineChicagoans will elect the first fully-elected school board with 45 candidates running for all 21 seats.
Early voting is underway for Chicago’s Board of Education.
For the first time, Chicagoans will elect all 21 members, including the school board president and 20 district representatives.
Borderless Magazine breaks down where to cast your ballot, how to find your nearest polling site and where to find bilingual assistance for non-English speakers.
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When do polls open?
The Illinois Midterm General Election is Nov. 3.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day but you can cast ballots before that day at early voting sites. Early voting has expanded to all 50 wards this week.
Locations are listed on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ website.
Who can vote?
To become a registered voter, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen,
- be 18 years old on or before the date of the Illinois Midterm General Election on Nov. 3;
- live in your precinct at least 30 days before the election and not claim the right to vote elsewhere;
- not be in prison or jail serving time for a conviction. If you were recently released from prison, are on parole or probation, and meet the requirements listed above, you can register and vote in Illinois.
Oct. 18 is the last day to register to vote online. You can register to vote in person at early voting sites.
Can’t remember if you’re a registered voter in Illinois?
You can check your voter registration using the Registration Lookup on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.
How do I find my nearest polling location?
Use the state board’s Polling Place Locator to find the closest polling place or voting center.
A polling place is a voting site for residents of a certain precinct, while a voting center serves individuals regardless of where they live. Chicago residents can find polling places for all 50 wards here.
Who’s running for Chicago’s school board?
Three candidates are vying for Chicago Board of Education president:
- Jessica Biggs, a former CPS principal and current school board member;
- Hilario Dominguez, a former Chicago Teachers Union deputy political director and CPS graduate;
- Victor Henderson, a defense attorney who serves on the board of Urban Prep Charter Academy.
The position, a four-year term, had been appointed by the mayor for more than 30 years. Two candidates – leadership consultant Sendhil Revuluri and school board member Jennifer Custer – have dropped out of the race. Revuluri’s name will remain on the ballot.
Read More of Our Coverage
In addition, 42 candidates are competing for 20 district representative seats, where they will serve two- or four-year terms. Chalkbeat Chicago School Board Voter Guide 2026 has a complete breakdown.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. Same-day voting registration is available in person at all early voting sites, including on Election Day, through grace period registration. Find those sites and grace period locations here.
You will need to bring two forms of identification to register – with at least one showing your current address. A passport, driver’s license, school ID, Illinois Link card, residential lease agreement or credit card count as acceptable forms of ID. More on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ website.
A utility bill, pay stub, school transcript or bank statement are also acceptable forms of ID that display your mailing address. More are listed online.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes.
Chicago voters have until 5 p.m. Oct. 29 to request a Vote By Mail ballot. Application forms are offered in several languages – Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean and Tagalog – and can be completed online or submitted by mail.
Ballots must be postmarked before or on Election Day – Nov. 3 – to be counted. They must be returned by mail in the provided envelope with your name or submitted into an official Chicago Board of Election Commissioners drop box.
Voters can access any of the 50 drop boxes starting Oct. 19 through the day of the election. More details are available online through the board’s website.
Where can I cast my ballot early?
Early voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 28-30 at these college campuses:
- Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Dr.
- Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave.
- University of Chicago — Reynolds Club, 5706 S. University Ave.
What language can I find my ballot in?
Paper ballots in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog and Polish will be available at certain voting sites. However, every precinct polling place in Chicago will have a touchscreen voting machine and an audio ballot in 12 languages:
- English
- Spanish
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- Hindi
- Korean
- Tagalog
- Polish
- Gujarati
- Urdu
- Ukrainian
- Arabic
- Russian
Voters can bring written or printed materials into the booth. They also can bring an interpreter to help translate the ballot.
Which voting sites have bilingual poll workers?
Bilingual poll workers will be at more than 30 voting sites for questions or assistance before or on Election Day. Two locations — the supersite in downtown and the North Park Village Administration Building on the city’s North Side — feature multiple languages for voters.
For Spanish
- American Indian Center Chicago, 3401 W. Ainslie St.
- Archer Heights Library, 5055 S. Archer Ave.
- Brighton Park Community Campus (Park No. 596), 4830 S. Western Ave.
- Goldblatt’s Building, 1615 W. Chicago Ave.
- Humboldt Park Library, 1605 N. Troy St.
- Kilbourn Park, 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave.
- Chicago Catholic Kolping Society and Center, 5826 N. Elston Ave.
- Lincoln Park Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave.
- Malcolm X College West Campus, 4624 W. Madison St.
- McKinley Park Library, 1915 W. 35th St.
- Merlo Library, 644 W. Belmont Ave.
- Near North Library, 310 W. Division St.
- North Park Village Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
- Northeastern Illinois University El Centro, 3390 N. Avondale Ave.
- Portage-Cragin Library, 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
- Roden Library, 6083 N. Northwest Highway
- Rudy Lozano Library, 1805 S. Loomis St.
- St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, 5157 S. McVicker Ave.
- Supersite, 137 S. State St.
- Toman Library, 2708 S. Pulaski Rd.
- University of Illinois Chicago Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St.
- Vodak-East Side Library, 3710 E. 106th St.
- West Belmont Library, 3104 N. Narragansett Ave.
For Korean
- North Park Village Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
For Polish
- Archer Heights Library, 5055 S. Archer Ave.
- Clearing Library, 6423 W. 63rd Pl.
- Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
- Historic Lawson House, 803 N. Dearborn St.
- Chicago Catholic Kolping Society and Center, 5826 N. Elston Ave.
- Lincoln Park Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Northtown Library 6800 N. Western Ave.
- Portage-Cragin Library, 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
- Roden Library, 6083 N. Northwest Highway
- St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, 5157 S. McVicker Ave.
- West Belmont Library 3104 N. Narragansett Ave.
For Cantonese and Mandarin
- Broadway Armory Fieldhouse, 5917 N. Broadway St. (Cantonese)
- Historic Lawson House, 803 N. Dearborn St. (Cantonese)
- McGuane Park, 2901 S. Poplar Ave.
- McKinley Park Library, 1915 W. 35th St.
- North Park Village Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd. (Cantonese)
- Supersite, 137 S. State St.
- Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. (Mandarin)
- Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Hindi and Urdu
- American Indian Center Chicago, 3401 W. Ainslie St.
- Broadway Armory Fieldhouse, 5917 N. Broadway St.
- Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
- North Park Village Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
- Northtown Library, 6800 N. Western Ave.
- Supersite, 137 S. State St.
- University of Illinois Chicago Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St.
- Willye B. White Park, 1610 W. Howard St.
Gujarati
- Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
- Northtown Library, 6800 N. Western Ave.
- Supersite, 137 S. State St.
- Willye B. White Park, 1610 W. Howard St.
Amanda Tugade is a reporter at Borderless Magazine. Email her at [email protected].
