Late January is the start of voting for the Feb. 28 Chicago municipal elections for early, in-person voting and for those who’ve requested mail-in ballots. Here’s your guide to voting in Chicago for mayor, alderman and other city offices.

Illinois’ 2022 general election saw the second-highest voter turnout in a midterm year of the past quarter century, with more than half of registered residents casting a ballot. Vote by mail participation increased 67% over 2018.

Over 742,000 Illinoisans voted by mail in November, 67% more than the previous midterm. While many Northern Illinois counties saw record voter participation, Cook County reported its lowest turnout in 25 years.

Cook County voters can now visit any of the 53 polling locations countywide to cast their ballot for the Nov. 8 general elections. Illinoisians can still choose to permanently vote by mail until Nov. 3.

With 40 days until the election, Illinois residents can vote early at their local county clerks’ office. Vote-by-mail ballots should arrive soon, but there is still time to apply for one.

Illinois citizens can now permanently register to vote by mail, allowing residents to cast their ballots from the comfort of their own home. Here are the facts about mail-in voting.

Now that Illinois voters can permanently register to vote by mail, here are some issues to consider about casting a ballot from the kitchen table rather than a polling place.

Permanent vote by mail allows Illinoisans to vote at home, offering convenience and a chance to make better-informed decisions. Voters automatically receive a ballot for each future election, so illness or forgetfulness aren’t barriers to civic duty.

Expanding permanent vote-by-mail options to all eligible voters while retaining in-person voting would likely increase turnout without giving any political party an advantage.