Voter Engagement and Registration

The short answer: the more voters we register, the more voters we can turnout on Election Day. But voter registration is also about civic engagement. Ensuring that every American has a chance to be an active participant in our elections is a vital step towards a successful democracy. For us, every day is the perfect day to talk about voter engagement because every voice and every vote matters.

Illinois Online Voter Registration Application Website

You can go directly to the Illinois State Board of Elections website to register to vote. To register:

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• You must be 17 years old on or before the date of the Primary Election and turn 18 on or before the date of the General or Consolidated Election.
• You must live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.
• You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.
• You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

Go to Illinois Online Voter Application page to check your voter registration status or to register to vote.

TurboVote

Another way to register yourself and others is online by using TurboVote at indivisibleil.turbovote.org.   Below is an overview.  See a step by step guide on how to use TurboVote here. 

Voter Registration Tool Overview

Indivisible Illinois is working with TurboVote to offer an online tool that supports voter registration efforts across all 50 states. This tool allows constituents to request absentee ballots and register to vote. In states like Illinois that allow online voter registration, the tool pushes registrants through the entire process to register to vote online.

You can send this tool to engage with friends and family, promote on social media, and, of course, go out in your community to register voters in person. So, why use TurboVote?

Easy to use. TurboVote will walk new registrants through the entire registration process — and at the end they will be registered to vote (or just have to mail in their completed registration). It’s that simple!

No forms, no problem. When registering voters with paper forms, volunteers need to keep track of a lot of forms. Not to mention, there’s significant liability that comes along with doing voter registration on paper — once you register a voter, you become responsible for making sure their registration form is handed in (and in compliance with state laws). Some conservative state governments have significantly ratcheted up the penalties for turning in paper forms late as a way to discourage voter registration. This tool does all that work for you.

Registration is always complete and legible. It may seem trivial, but one of the big challenges of doing voter registration is making sure that registration forms are complete and easy to read. New registrants won’t be able to go to the next step without completing all the necessary fields and their answers will always be legible.

More than voter registration. This tool goes beyond voter registration. Voters can use it to apply for mail in ballots. The system will also send everyone who registers an automatic reminder when elections are coming up! Additionally, Indivisible will be able to keep track of the folks that groups register and make sure that they’re contacted in the lead up to elections.

Important notes: TurboVote requires internet access and a smartphone, tablet or computer to register. While we highly recommend Indivisible groups use this tool in place of paper forms, we recognize that these resources are not accessible to all groups or group members. If the only option for your community is to do registration with paper registration forms, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with Illinois state laws about voter registration (including requirements to do registration, eligibility to vote, deadlines to turn in registration forms and more). You can check in with the Illinois State Board of Elections to start learning. http://www.elections.il.gov.  

ILVOTE provides extensive resources to engage with and register voters. These materials include:

• How to host a voter registration event manual
• Illinois voter registration mail in application in English and Spanish
• Election Calendar
• Voter Guides and more

Read our guide to organizing a VR table or event by Karen Goldman.  There’s a slide deck on organizing by Helen Celewicz, too.

We have a carefully researched FAQ for organizers and registrars that will answer your questions about ways of registering people, ID for voting, rules and dates, and much more.

What about materials?  We maintain an annotated resource of printable materials including registration forms, posters, commit-to-vote cards, and more.

Are you looking for additional volunteers to help you?  Or have questions? Check out the new ILVote website or get social and join the Facebook Group Indivisible ILVOTE.

Want to connect with other ILVOTE organizers across the state to listen, learn and share best practices?  Contact Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth at 773-216-2067 [email protected] to join our regular meetings.