Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today encouraged voters to know their rights as early voting is underway for the March 17 general primary election. It has been the longstanding practice of the Attorney General’s office to monitor elections in Illinois to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and polling places are accessible. Raoul is urging Illinois voters to make a plan to vote in person or using a drop box to ensure their votes are counted. 

“On Friday, I attended the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s memorial and was fortunate to honor his life spent fighting oppression and to increase voter participation. Friday was also the 15th anniversary of the Illinois Voting Rights Act, a law I am proud to have sponsored as a member of the Illinois Senate. The fight Rev. Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began for civil rights is by no means over. Civil rights are again under attack, which is why it was particularly meaningful for me to mark the anniversary of Bloody Sunday by joining members of the Jackson family and hundreds of civil rights leaders in Selma to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge,” Raoul said. “As voters rights around the nation are threatened by efforts to suppress votes, we must honor the legacies of Rev. Jackson and Dr. King by recommitting ourselves to protecting the right to vote and fighting voter suppression. As a state senator, I sponsored the Illinois Voting Rights Act and a constitutional amendment prohibiting discrimination against eligible voters. As Attorney General, I am urging voters to know their rights and to make a voting plan that ensures their vote will be counted.” 

Early voting began in February and will extend through the end of the day before Election Day, March 16. Under state law, voters may cast a ballot prior to Election Day without having to provide a reason for wanting to vote early. Voters should check with their local election authorities for the most current information on voting regulations, which can be located using the Illinois State Board of Elections website. 

Illinois voters can also vote by mail for any reason, and a mail-in ballot can be requested up to five days before the election, March 12. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by midnight on Election Day. However, a recent postmark change by the U.S. Postal Service increases the risk of votes not being counted. As a result of the postmark change that went into effect in December, ballots dropped off at a Postal Service retail location on Election Day or the days just prior to Election Day may not be postmarked until one or two days later – disqualifying the ballot. Anyone dropping off mail-in ballots on or near Election Day should request a manual postmark at the Postal Service retailer’s counter. However, Raoul is encouraging voters to return ballots at drop boxes to ensure their vote is counted. 

Under Illinois law, no one is allowed to try to influence a voter within 100 feet of a polling place. It is also a crime under state law to prevent a person from voting or registering to vote using intimidation, force, threat or deception. 

The Attorney General’s office previously released a 2024 Voter Misinformation Guide to help Illinois voters identify and report election misinformation generated by artificial intelligence (AI), which is increasingly being used to create fake but realistic content about elections and candidates. Raoul’s office has also released guidance in the past to assist Illinois voters with disabilities. 

Raoul’s office is offering additional tips to help voters exercise their rights leading up to and on Election Day: 

• Know the basics about elections in Illinois, and have your own plan to vote. Consult the Illinois State Board of Elections (SBE) and local election authorities for information and answers to questions about where, when or how to vote, as well as your voter registration status. The League of Women Voters of Illinois has a list of useful election facts and offers other resources to avoid election misinformation and disinformation.
• Register to vote through trusted sources, such as the SBE’s Online Voter Application or the Illinois Secretary of State Motor Voter Registration service at DMV facilities. Learn more about avoiding election scams from the AARP’s website.
• If you see something on Election Day report it. The Attorney General’s office provides teams of monitors on the day of the election to ensure that voters’ rights are protected, and polling places are accessible. Voters who feel their voting rights have been violated or who have witnessed concerning behavior should report it to the Attorney General’s office or local law enforcement. Voters in Chicago and Northern Illinois should call 1-866-536-3496. Central and Southern Illinois voters can call 1-866-559-6812. Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities can reach the office by using the 7-1-1 relay service. 

For more information, please visit Attorney General Raoul’s website.