You can vote in the Evanston Municipal Elections if you are U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, an Evanston resident for at least 30 days before Election Day, and not in jail for a felony conviction. In order to vote, you first must be registered at an Evanston address, on or off campus.

No. Evanston Municipal Elections are non-partisan.

You can check your registration status online using NU Votes’ Check Registration Tool, or for Evanston specifically, using the Cook County Voter Information Search Tool.

If you registered recently, it often takes several weeks for registration requests to be processed. If you cannot confirm your registration from a previous year, simply re-register.

If you have concerns about your registration, contact your local election authority. For Evanston specifically, e-mail Voter.Reg@cookcountyil.gov or call (312)603-0906.

If you run into a problem, don’t panic – you still have the option to register and vote in Evanston through Election Day.

You can register to vote in advance:

If you have passed these deadlines, it is not too late! You can register and vote at the same time, during early voting or on Election Day.

Registration typically does not expire. However, you must update your registration if your address, name, or signature has changed. If you don’t vote for several years, or your county sends you election mail that gets returned, you may be removed from the voter rolls, so it’s always a good idea to check to make sure your registration is current.

No. If you haven’t registered yet, it is not too late!

Grace Period Registration & Voting
Grace Period Registration allows you to register and vote at the same time, during the Early Voting period up to the day before the election. Note that if you choose Grace Period Registration, you must cast your ballot immediately after registering.  

If you live in Evanston (regardless of which ward you live in), you can register and vote at the Evanston Civic Center (2100 Ridge Ave, Room G300) during the following dates and times: 

To register to vote through Grace Period Registration, you must present TWO forms of ID. You will be required to cast your ballot immediately after registering. 

Election Day Registration & Voting
You can also register to vote on Election Day at your assigned polling place with TWO forms of ID.

To register to vote in person, you must present TWO forms of ID:

1. Something that proves your identity: A Wildcard, driver’s license, state ID, passport, birth certificate, or social security card
2. Something that shows your current Evanston address: Postmarked mail, a utility bill, a bank or credit card statement, a pay stub, a lease or rental contract, a printout from CAESAR that shows your local address (CAESAR > Main Menu > Personal Profile > My Addresses) or a Residency Verification Letter from the Housing Portal (Housing Portal > Contract Info > Residency Verification > Get My Letter).

To register to vote online, you must provide an IL driver’s license or state ID number and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. To register to vote by mail, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number only. If you register to vote by mail, you may be required to show ID (proof of identity and proof of address) the first time you vote or request or return your ballot.

For help getting the IDs you need to register, see VoteRiders.

Yes. Students have a legal right to register and vote at either their permanent address or their campus address.

You should typically be registered and vote in the place you most consider to be ‘home’. For instance, where you feel more connected to your community, where you are more informed about local issues or follow local news and politics, or where you want to have a say in policy or in who represents you in elected office. This may change during the course of your time at Northwestern.

You have the option to either vote early or vote on Election Day.

To vote on Election Day (Tuesday, April 1st), you must go to your assigned polling place. (Note that Evanston’s ward boundaries recently changed due to redistricting, so your polling place may have changed since the last election.)

To find your polling place, use Cook County’s Voter Information Search Tool.

If you live on north campus, your assigned polling place is the Noyes Cultural Arts Center (927 Noyes St). If you live on south campus, your assigned polling place is Parkes Hall (1870 Sheridan).

Note that polling places are always subject to change, even on short notice, so be sure to double check the location using the search tool above just before you go to vote.

On Election Day, all polling places are open from 6 AM to 7 PM.

Yes! If you live in Evanston (regardless of which ward you live in), you can register and vote at the Evanston Civic Center (2100 Ridge Ave, Room G300) during the following dates and times: 

You can register to vote on all early voting days; however, you must present TWO forms of ID to do so. 

Yes! If you are already registered to vote at your current address, you can request a vote-by-mail ballot online. If you are not yet registered to vote at your current address, you can submit a paper ballot request form by mail along with your mail-in Voter Registration Form.

You must request a vote-by-mail ballot no later than March 27th, though you are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible to make sure you receive your ballot on time. You should also have the option to be added to a permanent vote-by-mail list, so that you receive a mail-in ballot for future elections automatically (though you may not want to do this if you anticipate your address will change frequently).

Once you submit your request, you will be mailed a paper ballot to the address you choose, to complete, sign, and deliver or mail back in the enclosed return envelope.

Vote-by-mail ballots are typically mailed approximately one month prior to Election Day, and then on an ongoing basis as requests are processed, which can take several weeks.

If you have requested a vote-by-mail ballot but have not yet received one, you can check on the status of your ballot online using Cook County’s Voter Information Search Tool You can also e-mail Mail.Voting@cookcountyil.gov or call (312)603-0946.

If you live on campus, note that mail can sometimes take a bit longer to make its way through the campus mail system. Remember to check your mailbox regularly. You also might want to check with your package center.

If you run into trouble (e.g. the county did not receive your ballot request, or there was a problem with it, or they mailed you a ballot but you did not receive it), you can submit a new request if there is still time, or you still have the option to vote in person, during early voting or on Election Day.

You can return your completed ballot by mail, or hand deliver it to a secure ballot drop box at an early voting site. 

To hand deliver your ballot, you can bring it to the ballot drop box at the Evanston Civic Center (2100 Ridge Ave, Room G300) during early voting (March 17th – March 30th).

To return your ballot via mail, simply drop your postage-paid envelope in the nearest USPS mailbox. On campus, mailboxes are available on the corners of Colfax & Sheridan, Foster & Sheridan, and Hinman & Sheridan. See our mailing tips to find mailbox and post office locations near you, guidance if you are mailing close to the deadline, and more. Your ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day, but you are encouraged to return your ballot as soon as you are able.

If you registered to vote by mail, and are voting for the first time at your current registration address, you may be required to show ID (including proof of identity and proof of address) to vote. (This is especially true if you did not include an Illinois driver’s license or state ID number or Social Security Number on your registration form.) If you are registering during Early Voting or on Election Day, you must bring TWO forms of ID. Otherwise, in Illinois, you are NOT required to show ID to vote. However, we recommend bringing a Wildcard or other photo ID just in case. For help getting the IDs you need to vote, see VoteRiders.

You are allowed to bring notes or sample ballots with you to the voting booth and look up information on your phone. However, in Illinois, you may NOT take any photos of your ballot or inside the polling place.

You do NOT need your Voter Registration Card to vote. However, you must be registered. You can verify your registration status online using Cook County’s Voter Information Search Tool. If you run into a problem, don’t panic – you still have the option to register and vote through Election Day.

Make sure to register to vote or check or update your registration in advance if you are able.  

If you are voting by mail, request your ballot well in advance of the deadline, and check to make sure your request was received and your ballot is on the way. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully on your ballot request form as well as on the ballot and ballot envelope. Complete all fields, sign in all places required, and make sure your signature matches the signature on file with your voter registration. Finally, return your ballot well in advance of the deadline.

If you are voting in person, be sure to bring proper IDs (including proof of identity and proof of address). Make sure your signature matches the signature on file with your voter registration. Follow the instructions carefully as you complete and submit your ballot.

In Cook County, you can check the status of a mail-in ballot or provisional ballot online  to confirm that it was received and will be counted using the Voter Information Search Tool.

If you or others encounter issues at a polling place or barriers to voting, contact the National Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. If your eligibility to vote is challenged, you should still be able to vote a provisional ballot, which will be reviewed after Election Day to determine if your vote can still be counted.

Daniel Biss
Jeffrey “Jeff” Boarini

Stephanie Mendoza

Write-In Candidate:
Vanessa Johnson-McCoy

Which Ward Do I Live In?
(Note that Evanston’s ward boundaries recently shifted due to redistricting, so even if you have not moved, you may be in a different ward than last election.)

Ward 1
(Includes many on-campus addresses west of Sheridan Road and some common off-campus addresses)
Stephen Hackney
Clare Kelly

Ward 2
Darlene Murray Cannon
Kristian “Krissie” Harris
Jacqueline Mendoza 

Ward 3
Gennifer Geer
Shawn Iles
John Kennedy

Ward 4
Jonathan Nieuwsma
Write-In Candidate:
Margaret “Meg” Welch

Ward 5
(Includes some common off-campus addresses)
Bobby Burns
Carlis B. Sutton

Ward 6
Candace Chow 
Tom Suffredin

Ward 7
(Includes many on-campus addresses east of Sheridan Road)
Parielle Davis
Kerry Alexander Mundy Williams

Ward 8
Devon Reid
Matt Rodgers

Ward 9
Juan Geracaris

Evanston/Skokie School District 65
(Vote for Four)
Patricia S. Anderson
Peter Bogira
Christopher Denardo
Kimberly Fair (Withdrew)
Lionel Gentle
Daniel Lyonsmith
Chris Van Nostrand
Maria Forress Opdycke
Nichole Pinkard
Randall “Randy” Steckman
Brandon Utter
Heather Vezner
Andrew Wymer

Evanston Township High School District 202
(Vote for Four)
Mirah Anti
John Martin
Patricia Maunsell
Patricia Savage-Williams

Oakton Community College District 535
(Vote for Two)
Cheryl Brown
Micah J. Eimer
Michele Hays
Rene Mandin
Marie Lynn Toussaint
Wendy B. Yanow

Lighthouse Park District
(Vote for Three)
Craig Fochler 
Thomas Tench 
Catherine Sardo Weidner

Ridgeville Park District
(Vote for One)
Mick Morel

To view a sample ballot, enter your address into the Cook County Voter Information Search Tool.

Here are some ways you can educate yourself to make informed decisions about the candidates on your ballot: 

• Review candidates’ websites and social media feeds (see the candidate lists above). 

• Watch candidate debates and forums. The League of Women Voters of Evanston sponsored a series of candidate forums that you can watch online.

• Check out local news media – they often report on debates and forums, profile candidates, or have candidates complete questionnaires about where they stand on key issues. Check out local election coverage from the Daily Northwestern, the Evanston Roundtable, and Evanston Now.

• If you identify with a political party, or are aligned with an issue advocacy organization, local political organizations often endorse or support candidates.

No! If you don’t feel sufficiently informed about a particular office, set of candidates, or issue, or you don’t want to vote for any of the candidates, you can choose to leave that category blank. This does not invalidate your ballot – your other selections will still be counted.

To get further involved this election season, you can: 

• Get friends in your network to commit to vote as well. Help them make their voting plan, and send them reminders to make sure they follow through. 
• Volunteer for a candidate’s campaign, or on behalf of a political party, issue advocacy organization, or nonprofit voter engagement organization.
• Work the polls! In Illinois, this paid position is open to U.S. citizens, 16 or older, who have lived in Illinois for at least 30 days prior to Election Day. Review the qualifications and pay, and apply now to work as an Election Judge at a polling place in Evanston (or anywhere in suburban Cook County).

You can also explore additional opportunities for civic engagement beyond voting. 

In future election seasons, consider becoming an NU Votes Ambassador. Join our mailing list to learn about future opportunities (select Interested in NU Votes).

Great question! There are many ways to be civically engaged beyond voting. You might also want to learn more about the programs and services offered by the Center for Civic Engagement. 

Evanston City Council – About Evanston’s Local Government
Evanston City Clerk – Registration & Voting Information (Evanston)
Cook County Clerk – Registration & Voting Information (Suburban Cook County)
Illinois State Board of Elections – Registration & Voting Information (Illinois)
Vote.org – Election & Voting Information (All 50 States)
US Vote Foundation – Election & Voting Information (All 50 States)

The NU Votes staff and student team is standing by to help! Email nuvotes@northwestern.edu. If you have additional questions or need more specific guidance, contact your local election authority.