ILLINOIS IS HOLDING ITS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ON JUNE 28 – MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD!
What elections are there in Illinois? What am I voting for?
Illinois will hold a Democratic Primary on June 28 for US Representatives and US Senate as well as state-wide offices such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Supreme Court, and your State Representatives and State Senators. The winners of these Democratic primary races will go up against the Republicans in the November 8, 2022 General Election.
All overseas voters can vote for their US Representative and US Senator. And you may also be able to vote to choose the Democratic candidates for Governor, Lt Governor, Attorney General, and your representatives to the Illinois state legislature. It depends on the category you choose when you register to vote and request your ballot:
- If you "intend to return": You are eligible to vote in Illinois state elections.
*You don't have to have a set date of return and it doesn't have to be within a set time frame, but you do need to have an intention to return at some time in the future. - If your “return is uncertain”: You won’t be eligible to vote in Illinois state elections, but you can still vote in the federal election for the US House and US Senate.
*Please note: Because the legal requirements to establish “residence” or “domicile” for tax purposes are determined by state law and the specific facts of your life, before you note that you intend to return on your form, you may consider seeking advice on these matters from a tax professional.
Illinois state elections are hugely important! State government is responsible for voting and state policies regarding climate change, education, health insurance, net neutrality, student loans, and more affect us no matter where we go around the world.
1) Register to Vote and Request Your Ballot Today
It's easy to request your ballot. And your ballot request covers all elections in 2022, so send the form in now and ensure your ballot for the June 28th Primary and for the November 8th General election.
Go to www.votefromabroad.org and follow the prompts to fill out the form to request your ballot, the Federal Post Card Application form (FPCA). (If needed, it will also serve as a voter registration.) To ensure you receive your ballot in time, please check the box on the FPCA to have your blank ballot sent to you by “Email/Online” or “Fax”.
To vote in Illinois’s Democratic Primary, you must also specify “Democratic” as your political party.
You can send in your FPCA to your local election office in Illinois by email (recommended) or fax or mail.
- If you are registered to vote, you MUST still send in an FPCA to request your ballot in 2022 to vote in the Illinois Democratic Primary. Your FPCA must be received by June 18.
- If you are NOT registered to vote, you will receive a ballot with federal offices only if your FPCA is received by June 18.
Special Deadline: If you aren’t registered to vote and you indicate that you “intend to return”, you’re eligible to receive a ballot with both state and federal race. But your FPCA must be received by May 29.
2) When You Get Your Ballot, Fill It Out and Send It Back Right Away
Ballots will start going out on May 14, 2022. If you asked for your ballot by email, be sure to check your spam folder and any secondary inboxes.
When you get your ballot, fill it out and send it back away. It must be postmarked no later than June 28 AND it also must be received in Illinois by July 12.
3) Confirm That Your Ballot Was Accepted and Counted
After you send in your ballot, make sure your vote is counted!
You can check your ballot status online using: https://move.elections.il.gov You’ll need to set up an Illinois MOVE account.
You may need to use a VPN to connect to this website. For more information about how to use a VPN, please click here.
Or, you can email or call your local election office directly. You can find the contact information at: www.votefromabroad.org/states/IL; scroll down to "Find Your Election Office"
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