In Chicago, early voting has officially kicked off, marking a significant change in the city’s voting landscape.
This year, voters will experience a new polling hub located at State and Adams streets, which replaces the former Supersite at Clark and Lake streets.
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The new location boasts 80 voting machines, offering a few more than the previous site, and provides additional space for voters. It operates every day, ensuring ample opportunity for participation.
With early voting already in full swing across Lake, Will, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, and DuPage counties, Chicago is now joining the fray.
Republican candidate Tommy Hanson, who is vying for a seat in Illinois’ 5th Congressional District, was the first to cast his vote at the new location on Thursday morning.
For those preparing for the 2026 primary elections, click here to access voter information for Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
He said he unknowingly went to the original location at Clark and Lake first, then was sent to the new location.
“If you don’t vote, you have no reason to argue about politics or anything,” Hanson said. “So, just get it out of the way. You never know if you’re gonna have bad weather or appointments or whatever coming up; so, just get out of the way.”
He wasn’t the only candidate to walk through the doors.
Linda Sackey is running for county judge.
“These are interesting times. And so, for me, it was important to get out, first thing in the morning and let my voice be heard,” Sackey said.
The Chicago Board of Elections offices at 79 W. Washington St. also opened Thursday for early voting.
Early voting will officially expand to all 50 wards on March 2, ahead of the Illinois primary.
Early voting in Suburban Cook County begins next week.
Chairwoman Marisel Hernandez said her team has begun mailing over 152,000 vote by mail ballots, and recommends returning them as soon as possible, given the U.S. Postal Service can no longer guarantee your ballot will be postmarked the same day it’s put in the mail.
“I would say the latest you should get your ballot in the mail is by March 10, a week before Election Day on March 17,” Hernandez said. “But, even better is if you go to one of our early voting sites and just drop it off at one of our secure drop boxes.”
Cora Florene Rambert said she hopes to be a role model, showing the younger generation the value in voting. She did her research on the stacked races in the House and Senate, and came prepared.
“This is about future generations,” Rambert said. “This is not about me. It’s about things that’s going on in Congress and the Senate and everything.”
“The economy: It’s horrible. People like me, poor people, we need help. So, I vote,” voter Yvonne Wilson said.
There are many big races this year, with Illinois voters selecting candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, as well as for governor. In Cook County, there is also a competitive race for Board president.
“I am texting everyone that I know about just the election dates, letting them know this is the primary election for this year. We have the midterms in November,” voter Kamilah Banks-Word said.
Anyone can vote at the supersite, regardless of his or her ward. You can also register to vote on the spot at any polling location, as well.
“People can register at any early voting site and even on Election Day at their polling place,” Hernandez said.
Elected officials and others came together on Thursday to lobby in favor of the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026. The newly introduced legislation, will, they say, strengthen state-level protections against voter discrimination in minority communities. Among other things, it would expand language access for those with limited English proficiency.
“There’s no language requirements to be able to vote, but language is still often a barrier for many voters. They may not get language coverage guaranteed because those languages aren’t required under the law,” said Conner Kozisek, with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
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