• Donate
  • Volunteer
  • Register to Vote
  • Contact Officials
  • Contact Media
  • Spread the Reform
  • Email a Friend
Cook County Events
State News
State News
State News
HELP PREVENT ELECTION FRAUD & SIGN UP AS A REPUBLICAN ELECTION JUDGE TODAY!

Every election, approximately 20,000 election judges in over 5,000 Cook County precincts are appointed by their respective Party leaders. Election Judges are the first line of defense in protecting the integrity of the ballot and ensuring fairness at the polls. Theoretically, half of all judges are Democrats and half are Republicans, and it is the responsibility of the Republican Party to fill all of the allotted Election Judge positions with qualified Republicans.

An Election Judge is a gatekeeper of democracy, and is responsible for conduct inside the polling place, assisting voters, and maintaining fairness at all times. Judges are the backbone of the electoral process, and it is one of the most important ways that you can assist our mission here in Cook County.

Election judges can receive up to $170 every election. This includes working Election Day, your election judge training and assisting with the set up before Election Day.

To be eligible to serve as an election judge in the City of Chicago, you must be:

  1. A citizen of the United States.
  2. A registered voter in Cook County.
  3. Of good repute and character.
  4. Able to speak, read and write the English language.
  5. Skilled in the four fundamentals of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).
  6. Of good understanding and capable.
  7. Not be a candidate for any office at the election, or
  8. Not be a precinct captain.


To apply for to be an Election Judge in the City of Chicago, click here to Download an Application and mail to:
Cook County Republican Party
1549 W. Blackhawk St.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 278-2467

High School Student Judge of Elections Welcomed!

In order to qualify as a Student Judge, an applicant must:

  1. Be a high school senior in good standing.
  2. Have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Be a U.S. citizen by Election Day.
  4. Be able to speak, read and write the English language.
  5. Successfully complete a 4-hour training session.
  6. Be able to work on Election Day beginning at 5:30 a.m. until all duties are completed after the polls close.
  7. Be recommended by his / her high school principal.


A Student Judge does not have to be a registered voter to serve.

Any person interested in serving as a student judge must complete an application.

Click here to print the form and mail to:
Cook County Republican Party
1549 W. Blackhawk St.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 278-2467
State News
Early voting allows residents of Cook County to cast their vote during an 18-day period prior to Election Day, November 4, 2008. Early Voting begins on Columbus Day, Monday, October 13 and will extend through October 30.

Bring Photo ID
State law requires early voters to display valid identification to an election official before receiving a ballot to vote early. Valid forms of ID include: a current driver’s license, state-issued ID card or another government-issued ID with a photograph.

Monday through Saturday, Chicago voters will be able to use any of 51 sites; one in each ward, plus the Chicago Election Board office at 69 W. Washington St.

Early Voting Locations in Chicago:

Open from 9am-5pm Monday thru Saturday

1st Ward: Goldblatts Building 1615 W Chicago Ave
2nd Ward: Mabel Manning Library 6 S. Hoyne Ave.
3rd Ward: Chicago Bee Library 3647 S. State St.
4th Ward: M L King Community Ctr 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
5th Ward: Jackson Park 6401 S. Stony Island Ave.
6th Ward: Whitney Young Library 7901 S ML. King Jr. Dr.
7th Ward. Jeffery Manor Library 2401 E. 100th St.
8th Ward: Olive Harvey College 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.
9th Ward: Palmer Park 201 E 111th St.
10th Ward: Vodak/East Side Library 3710 E. 106th St.
11th Ward: McKinley Park 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
12th Ward: Back of the Yards Library 4650 S. Damen Ave.
13th Ward: West Lawn Park 4233 W. 65 St.
14th Ward: Archer Heights Library 5055 S. Archer Ave.
15th Ward: Lindbloom Park 6054 S. Damen Ave.
16th Ward: Sherman Park Library 5440 S. Racine Ave.
17th Ward: Thurgood Marshall Library 7506 S. Racine Ave.
18th Ward: Wrightwood-Ashburn Library 8530 S. Kedzie Ave.
19th Ward: 22nd Police District 1900 W. Monterey Ave.
20th Ward: Coleman Library 731 E. 63rd St.
21st Ward: Woodson Regional Library 9525 S. Halsted St.
22nd Ward: Piotrowski Park 4247 W. 31st St.
23rd Ward: Clearing Library 6423 W. 63rd Pl.
24th Ward: Douglass Library 3353 W. 13th St.
25th Ward: Chinatown Library 2353 S. Wentworth Ave.
26th Ward: Humboldt Park Library 1605 N. Troy St.
27th Ward: Union Park 1501 W. Randolph St.
28th Ward: West Side Learning Ctr 4624 W. Madison St.
29th Ward: Amundsen Park 6200 W. Bloomingdale Ave.
30th Ward: Portage Cragin Library 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
31st Ward: Blackhawk Park 2318 N. Lavergne Ave.
32nd Ward: Pulaski Park 1419 W. Blackhawk St.
33rd Ward: Independence Library 3548 W. Irving Park Rd.
34th Ward: West Pullman Library 830 W. 119th St.
35th Ward: Logan Square Library 3030 W. Fullerton Ave.
36th Ward: Hiawatha Park 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
37th Ward: West Chicago Library 4856 W. Chicago Ave.
38th Ward: Wright College - Science Bldg 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.
39th Ward: N. Park Village Admn Bldg 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
40th Ward: Budlong Woods Library 5630 N. Lincoln Ave.
41st Ward: Roden Library 6083 N. Northwest Hwy.
42nd Ward: Access Living 115 W. Chicago Ave.
43rd Ward: Lincoln Park Library 1150 W. Fullerton Ave.
44th Ward: Merlo Library 644 W. Belmont Ave.
45th Ward: Edgebrook Library 5331 W. Devon Ave.
46th Ward: Truman College 1145 W. Wilson Ave.
47th Ward: Welles Park 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
48th Ward: Edgewater Library 1210 W. Elmdale Ave.
49th Ward: Pottawattomie Park 7340 N. Rogers Ave.
50th Ward: Warren Park 6601 N. Western Ave.

Board of Election Commissioners 69 W. Washington St. (open on Sunday 9am-12pm)
State News
Absentee voting is a convenient way of casting a ballot if you’re unable to make it to your polling place on Election Day. To vote absentee, you must, by law, have a reason why you cannot make it to your polling place on Election Day. In most cases, voters vote absentee if they will be out of town during the election or if they are physically disabled.

Absentee ballot applications will not be available until September 25, 2008.

Who Qualifies for Absentee Voting?

Persons registered to vote in Chicago are eligible to cast an absentee ballot only if they meet one of the following conditions:

  1. Persons expecting to be absent from Cook County on Election Day.
  2. College or university students temporarily residing away from their home precincts.
  3. Persons expecting to be serving away from their home precincts on Election Day as election judges or election officials employed by any election board, County Clerk or law enforcement agency.
  4. Persons serving on jury duty on Election Day.
  5. Persons in jail as pre-trial detainees not serving jail sentences.
  6. Persons physically incapacitated or hospitalized.
  7. Persons whose religious beliefs prevent them from voting in person on Election Day.

If you meet any of the above qualifications, fill out an absentee ballot application and mail it to the Chicago Board of Election.

Click here to Download Absentee Ballot Application.
State News
Coming Soon!