Voting Information

Basic Info

First things first
To vote for Tom in the primary election on March 3, you must:

1. Be a resident of Illinois’s Fifth Congressional District; and
2. Be a registered voter.

Not sure if you live in the Fifth District?
 1. If you are a Chicago voter, type your address into the search engine on this page. Under the “District Information” section on the bottom right-hand side of the page, it says “United States Congress.” If there’s a 5 listed right after that, that means that you are a resident of the Fifth District.

(Note: If nothing comes up the first time you enter the info, try again. The program, for example, seems to recognize “N.” or “N” in street names, but not the word “North” spelled out).

2. If you are a Proviso or Leyden township voter, click on to this page. On the righthand side of the page, you’ll see a box titled “Suburban Cook Voter’s Toolkit.” Click on the “Voter Guide” tab, and type in your address.

If you live in the Fifth District, what will come up is your sample ballot. Under “Jurisdiction,” it will say “Rep. In Congress, 5th Vote for 1,” and under “Candidates” you’ll see Tom Geoghegan’s name, as well as the rest of the candidates.

(Note: if nothing comes up, try again, because the program does not recognize certain abbreviations. For example, it does not recognize “North” or “N” in street names, but it does recognize “N.”).

Not sure if you’re registered?
1. If you are a Chicago voter, type your name and address into the search engine on this page. As we said above, you may have to try several variations of your address (”E” but not “East”, for example).

2. If you are a Proviso or Leyden Township voter, click on to this page. On the righthand side of the page, you’ll see a box titled “Suburban Cook Voter’s Toolkit.” Click on the “Registration Look-up” tab, and type in your name and address. If nothing comes up, try again, with different variations of your address (different abbreviations, for example).

Important Dates

  1. The date of the IL-05 primary will be March 3, 2009.
  2. The deadline for regular registration is February 3rd.
  3. The dates for “grace period” voter registration (a procedure where you register and vote at the same time) are February 4th through February 10th.
  4. Early voting occurs from February 16th through February 26th.
  5. To vote by absentee ballot, your application for such a ballot must be received by February 26th, and the returned ballot must be postmarked March 2, 2009, or earlier.

Registration Information

How to register
To learn how to register to vote, visit this page if you are a Chicago voter, and this page if you are a Proviso or Leyden township voter. Please note that the deadline for registration is February 3, 2009.

It’s after February 3rd and I forgot to register. Is there anything I can do?
Why, yes there is! Between February 4th and February 10th, you can register and vote at the same time (this is called “grace period voting”). However, you must do so in person.

Chicago voters who wish to participate in grace period voting can do so at 69 W. Washington St. on the Sixth Floor, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Sunday, Feb. 8. See here for more information.

Leyden and Proviso Township voters can participate in grace period voting during the same days and hours as above, and at the same address (69 W. Washington Street), but on the Fifth Floor. See here for more information.

Early Voting Information

Early voting will occur between February 16th and February 26th. In order to vote early, you must bring a government-issued photo ID.

If you live in Chicago, you may vote at these sites:

WEST - Wright College, Science Building, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.

CENTRAL - North Park Village Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Road

EAST - Lincoln Park Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.

DOWNTOWN - Chicago Election Board, 69 W. Washington St., Lower Level

Voting hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday only at the Chicago Election Board, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

For more information on early voting in Chicago, visit this page.

If you live in Leyden or Proviso township, you may vote at these sites:

Elmwood Park Village Hall, 11 Conti Parkway, Elmwood Park, IL

Melrose Park Village Hall, 1000 N. 25th Ave., Melrose Park, IL

Clerk’s Downtown Office, 69 West Washington St., 5th floor, Chicago, IL

Voting hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m to 5 p.m., and Sunday only at the Clerk’s Downtown Office, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

For more information on early voting in Leyden and Proviso townships, visit this page.

Absentee Voting Information

If you will be an absentee voter and wish to cast an absentee ballot, visit this page if you are a Chicago voter, and this page if you are a Leyden or Proviso township voter.

Please note that, to vote absentee, your application for an absentee ballot must be received by February 26th, and the completed ballot must be postmarked March 2, 2009, or earlier.

How To Find Your Polling Place

Voting will occur on Tuesday, March 3rd, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

If you are a Chicago voter, type your address into the search engine on this page. The address of your polling place will be listed.

(Note: If nothing comes up the first time you enter the info, try again. The program, for example, seems to recognize “N.” or “N” in street names, but not the word “North” spelled out).

If you are a Proviso or Leyden township voter, click on to this page. On the righthand side of the page, you’ll see a box titled “Suburban Cook Voter’s Toolkit.” Click on the “Voter Guide” tab, and type in your address. The address of your polling place will be listed.

(Note: if nothing comes up, try again, because the program does not recognize certain abbreviations. For example, it does not recognize “North” or “N” in street names, but it does recognize “N.”).