Find key election dates, voter registration information, and other helpful voting resources.
Use the Cook County Clerk's Voter Information page for election-related questions like:
Registering to Vote
This page lists the different ways of registering to vote, and includes the requirements and forms of identification needed to register to vote, when, where and how you can register to vote in Illinois.
Illinois Online Voter Application
Online form for applying to vote in Illinois.
Cook County Election Department
Verify your voter registration, locate your polling place, and see a sample ballot and other information related to the election.
Illinois State Board of Elections
Find your polling place, information about election contributions and other information related to elections in Illinois.
Vote By Mail
Download the Illinois Vote By Mail application from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
FactCheck.org
A non-profit organization to bring truth to the voting process.
Project Vote Smart
A non-profit organization that provides factual information about the political system, issues, candidates, and elected official to private citizens.
OpenSecrets.org
Independent and nonprofit organization that is the premier group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
PolitiFact
A fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials, candidates, leaders of political parties and others who speak up in American politics.
Resources
As part of our Civic Engagement project, here's a selection of books, articles, podcasts, and other resources related to voting and elections.
Questions? Suggestions? Contact us at info@mgpl.org or 847-965-4220.
Books for Children (Fiction)
- Vote for Me! by Ben Clanton
- Grace Goes to Washington by Kelly DiPucchio
- A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
- Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter & Shane W. Evans
- Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote by Andrea Beaty
- Gabriela Speaks Out by Teresa E. Harris
- Vote: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Politics by Gary Paulsen
- President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston
Books for Children (Nonfiction)
- V is for Voting by Kate Farrell
- What is an Election? by Caryn Jenner
- When You Grow Up to Vote by Eleanor Roosevelt
- Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne
- We the People: The United States Constitution Explored and Explained by Aura Lewis
- The Power Book: What Is It, Who Has It and Why? by Claire Saunders
Resources for Parents
- 5 Easy Ways to Talk to Kids About Voting, PBS
- 5 Ways You Can Teach Children about the Importance of Voting, HarperCollins
- The Election Collection, PBS
- Voting and Elections | Resources for a Civil Classroom, Teaching Tolerance
Books for Teens (Fiction)
- All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D Taylor
- Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli
- Running by Natalia Sylvester
- The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
- The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson
- You Say It First by Katie Cotugno
Books for Teens (Nonfiction)
- Why Don’t Americans Vote?: Causes and Consequences
- Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery
- One Person, No Vote: How Not All Voters are Treated Equally by Carol Anderson
Books for Adults (Fiction)
- The Voter File by David Pepper
- The People’s Choice by Jeff Greenfield
- Eleanor vs Ike by Robin Gerber
- The Big Lie by James Grippando
- O, Democracy! by Kathleen Rooney
- Campaign Widows by Aimee Agresti
Books for Adults (Nonfiction)
- Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America by Tommy Jenkins
- American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction by Louis Sandy Maisel
- Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth about Voting in America by Erin Geiger Smith
- What You Need to Know About Voting and Why by Kim Wehle
- The Infographic Guide to American Government: A Visual Reference for Everything You Need to Know by Carissa Lytle
Articles
- Why Voting is Important (National Geographic)
- Why Voting Matters by Sean McElwee (DEMOS)
- Presidential Election Process (USA.gov)
- Gerrymandering (FairVote)
- Gerrymandering (ACLU)
- The Electoral College, National Conference of State Legislators
- What Good are Elections, Anyway? by Jennifer Victor (Vox)
Documentaries & Videos
- The Vote (PBS)
- Your Vote is Your Voice (Kanopy)
- Voting Paradoxes, The Great Courses (Kanopy)
Podcasts
- Your Vote Matters
- Vote!
- How the Electoral College Works, Stuff You Should Know
- Civics 101