Early Voting Begins Feb. 8 For Consolidated Primary Election

Press release from the City of Evanston:

Early voting for the February 23 Consolidated Primary Election will take place Monday, February 8 through Monday, February 22, 2021.

Local Primary Election races include Mayor, City Clerk, 8th Ward Alderman and 4th Ward Alderman. For residents who do not live in the 4th or 8th Ward, only Mayoral and City Clerk races will appear on the Primary Election ballot. Other ward races will appear on the April 6 Consolidated Election ballot.

For Mayoral elections, if more than two candidates run for office, a primary election will occur. For Aldermanic and City Clerk elections, if more than four candidates run for office, a primary election will occur.

View a complete list of candidates and more information on the Cook County Clerk’s website.

Early Voting
From February 8 through 22, community members can cast their ballots Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Morton Civic Center, Room G-300 (Ground Floor), 2100 Ridge Ave., in Evanston.

Vote By Mail
Residents can also apply to vote by mail online or by calling the Evanston City Clerk’s Office at 847-448-8189. Once an application is received and registration verified, a paper ballot will be sent to the address designated on the application. Those who registered to vote by mail in previous elections will not automatically receive a mail ballot for this election and must re-apply.

Mail-in ballots should be mailed or delivered back to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, 118 N. Clark St., Room 230, Chicago, IL 60602. The last day to request a mail ballot is Thursday, February 18. All ballots must be postmarked or submitted to the Cook County Clerk’s Office by February 23.

Election Day Voting
On Primary Election Day, Tuesday, February 23, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., residents should go to their registered polling location to vote.

A government-issued photo ID is not required to early vote, but is helpful if there is a question about the voter's registration, address or signature.

Please note: Residents can register to vote at all early voting sites. Visit the Cook County Clerk's website for a complete list of locations. To register, voters must be:

1. A U.S. citizen
2. At least 18 years old by the primary election
3. A resident of their precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day

Any voter registering for the first time or filing an address change or name change must present two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter's current address.

• 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

The 2021 Consolidated General Election will take place on Tuesday, April 6. Early voting information will be posted at cityofevanston.org/vote in early March after the conclusion of the Primary Election.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.