How To Vote And Other Advice On The Election
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Oct 24, 2012 9:40PM
The election is just two weeks away. That means it's time to exercise our right to free elections... and to finally become free from the tyranny of campaign ads once again. Voting should be simple, but there are a couple of things you should check, especially if you've moved in recent years. You could also find a place to cast your ballot early to beat the Election Day lines.
Check your status.
Go to the state elections page and make sure your voter registration is up to date. You don't want to be surprised. You only need your first and last name and your zip code to look up your polling place.
If your registration is up to date, decide if you'll vote early.
If you are registered and want to vote early, those polls opened on Monday. From now through Nov. 3, visit one of the early voting locations listed on the Illinois elections website. Most likely you're heading to the County Clerk’s Main Office at 69 West Washington Street. Those polls are open Monday thru Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If your registration is NOT up to date, vote early.
If you are not registered, it's not too late to vote... as long as you don't wait until Election Day. You may register to vote while casting your early ballot at early voting locations until Nov. 3. You do not need to give any excuse, but you will need to show a photo ID before you are given a ballot. That can be a current driver’s license, state-issued ID card, university/college ID or another government-issued ID with a photograph.
Prepare your sample ballot to take with you to the polling place
On the Chicago elections page, provide your name and address, and the site will create your sample ballot. You can use that to find information on each of the candidates before you head to the polls, so you make an informed decision on the myriad judges listed.
If you have questions on voting, tune in to CAN-TV's "Vote 2012" tonight. A representative from the Chicago Board of Elections and public officials of different levels of government will take viewers' calls about voter eligibility, early voting, polling place locations and late registration. The show will run 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the program streams live online at cantv.org/live or just watch it below.
Not registered in Illinois? Here are links to voting information in some other states.
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Michigan
* Missouri
* Wisconsin
Don't be like one of these undecided voters:
CAN-TV's live show: