Today Is Your Last Day To Register To Vote

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 9, 2012 1:45PM

Unregistered voters: you’re on deadline if you want to vote next month. Today is the final day to register to vote for the Nov. 6 general election or update your registration information.

The Chicago Board of Elections will be open until midnight to receive any last-minute registrations. Unregistered voters may also mail in their registrations [download the form here (PDF)] as long as it’s postmarked Oct. 9.

In order to vote next month you must (in addition to being a U.S. citizen who's 18 on Nov. 6)
live in your precinct at least 30 days before the election, not be in jail and aren't registered to vote elsewhere.

According to the Tribune, voter registration is down in Chicago and Cook County compared to 2008, but up slightly in the collar counties. Even though Board of Elections officials across the area are staying open late to accommodate late registrations, they’re saying there’s a decided lack of enthusiasm compared to four years ago. Bob Saar, executive director of the DuPage County Election Commission, told the Tribune:

"Four years ago, there was this great level of excitement that spurred on lots of local voter registration drives at the street level with lots of different interest groups and the political parties searching out unregistered voters. That sort of ground game isn't in play this time."