Alderman Bennett Lawson - 44th Ward Chicago

Alderman Bennett Lawson
44th Ward
Seal of Chicago

Voting Registration & Resources

Important Links:

Early Voting

Early voting is now open downtown! Visit the supersite at 137 S State or the Chicago Board of Elections offices at 69 W Washington, 6th Floor to cast your ballot today.

On March 2nd, 2026, 44th Ward residents can begin Early Voting for the March 17th, 2026 Midterm Primary Election at Advocate IL Masonic Medical Center (814 W Nelson). Please note: Our ward early polling site has changed from Merlo Library to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center to accommodate additional voting machines.

Any voter in Chicago can vote at any Early Voting site, no matter where they live in the city. Voters can choose whatever voting site is most convenient for them, including on Election Day. All Early Voting locations are ADA-compliant and fully accessible to voters with disabilities. 

Same Day Registration is available at all Early Voting sites, including 51 sites open as Vote Centers on Election Day. You will need two forms of ID, one with your current address. Click here for acceptable forms of ID.

Early voters may choose to vote in one of 12 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian. 

Vote By Mail

Vote By Mail is now open for the upcoming election on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. Fill out this online form so you can vote by mail in the next election only. If you do not want to fill out the online form, you can download, complete, sign, and submit the paper Vote By Mail Application to the Chicago Board of Elections via the website linked here.

You can always sign up for the vote by mail permanent roster. This ensures that you get mailed a ballot for all future elections. You can edit and opt out too. If you do not want to fill out the online form, you can download, complete, sign, and submit the paper Vote By Mail Permanent Roster Application to the Chicago Board of Elections via the website linked here.

The deadline to apply to Vote By Mail is March 12th, 2026 by 5:00pm. 

Election Day Voting

On Election Day, voters may choose to vote in one of the following ways:

1. At your precinct polling place from 6:00am to 7:00pm. Click here to find your assigned precinct polling place. Please note: you may only vote at your assigned precinct polling place; if you try to vote at another precinct polling place, you will be asked to vote a Provisional ballot.

Below is the full list of all precinct polling places within the 44th Ward for the March 17, 2026 Primary Election. Check your precinct above.

  • Nettelhorst School – 3252 N Broadway 
  • Hawthorne School – 3319 N Clifton
  • Harriet Tubman School – 2851 N Seminary 
  • Blaine School – 1420 W Grace
  • Sheil Park – 3505 N Southport
  • Merlo Library – 644 W. Belmont 
  • Center on Halsted – 3656 N Halsted
  • Broadway United Methodist Church – 3338 N Broadway 
  • The Brookdale ‘Lake Shore’ – 2960 N Lake Shore Dr
  • 2800 Lake Shore Condo Association – 2800 N Lake Shore Dr 
  • Hawthorne House – 3450 N Lake Shore Dr
  • Britton Budd Apartments – 501 W Surf
  • Hattie Callner Apartments – 855 W Aldine

2. The 44th Ward main early voting site is located at Advocate IL Masonic Medical Center (814 W Nelson). You can also vote at any one of 51 vote centers open from 6:00am to 7:00pm. Please note: any voter may vote at any vote center on Election Day, no matter where they live in the city. The Downtown Supersite is located at 137 South State Street.

Chicago voters have two ways to cast ballots on Election Day:

  1. Marking a paper ballot, only available at precinct polling places on Election Day, in which the voter inserts the paper ballot into a ballot scanner
  2. And using a touchscreen voting machine. One touchscreen is available at every precinct polling place, and vote centers are all touchscreen voting. When you have completed voting, the machine prints out a paper ballot that the voter inserts in a ballot scanner on Election Day. Touchscreen machine voters may choose to vote in one of 12 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Both balloting systems provide verifiable paper trails for all ballots cast.

Military/Overseas Voters

Military and overseas civilian voters residing temporarily or permanently outside their U.S. election jurisdiction use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and request an absentee ballot from their election authority.  UOCAVA and MOVE provide these eligible voters with the options to receive their blank ballots electronically and by mail.  

Step 1: Complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)

The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is used by uniformed service members, their eligible family members, and civilian U.S. citizens residing outside the United States to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. The state of Illinois allows you to register to vote and apply for your absentee ballot through this single form. On the FPCA, you can request to receive your absentee ballot electronically or by mail.

Please download, complete, sign, and submit to the Chicago Board of Elections your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You may submit your FPCA one of the following ways:

Email:  fpca@chicagoelections.gov

Fax: 312-269-0626 or 312-263-3649

Mail:

Chicago Board of Elections – UOCAVA

69 W. Washington St. Ste 600

Chicago, IL  60690-1122

Step 2: The Chicago Board of Elections will process your FPCA, then send your absentee ballot

You will be sent your absentee ballot through email and by mail.

Step 3: Complete your absentee ballot

You can access and mark your ballot electronically. Please note: This is not online voting. Your completed ballot must be printed and mailed to the Chicago Board of Elections. Instructions for completing your ballot will be included.

Step 4: Return your absentee ballot by mail to the Chicago Board of Elections

You may return either ballot, whichever you prefer. Only one ballot will be counted. Absentee ballots must be returned by mail to the Chicago Board of Elections. Return mailing instructions will be included.

Further Questions? Please contact the Military/Overseas Department (Email: fpca@chicagoelections.gov / Phone: 312-269-7865)  or visit the Chicago Board of Elections website linked here.

Hospitalized Voters

A registered voter who is hospitalized within 14 days of an election may request a Vote By Mail ballot be delivered to their hospital. Click here for more information from the Chicago Board of Elections.

Disabled Voter Identification Card

A voter with a permanent physical disability may request a Disabled Voter Identification Card, which is valid for all elections during a five-year period. Click here for more information from the Chicago Board of Elections.

Important Dates & Deadlines

February 5, 2026: Vote By Mail ballots can begin going out to voters whose applications have already been submitted and processed by the Chicago Board of Elections.

March 12, 2026: Vote By Mail application deadline.

March 17, 2026: Midterm Primary Election. Vote By Mail ballots returned to the Chicago Board of Elections must be postmarked before or on Election Day.

March 31, 2026: Vote By Mail ballot return deadline. Vote By Mail ballots postmarked before or on Election Day may be counted if they arrive at the Chicago Board of Elections within 14 days of Election Day. Any Vote By Mail ballots postmarked after Election Day cannot be counted, by law.

Have a voice in our Country’s Future: Register to Vote!

An individual may register to vote or update his or her existing voter registration by accessing the home page of the Illinois State Board of Elections’ Online Voter Registration Application Website.

To use this option, an applicant must provide:

  1. the full Illinois driver’s license or State identification card number;
  2. the last 4 digits of your social security number; and
  3. the date the Illinois driver’s license or State identification card was issued.

How to Vote By Mail

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What if my current Illinois Driver’s License or State I.D. has my old address?
A. You may use it to register. Election Board will send verification mailing to the new address.

Q. Can I register to vote or update my voter registration in person? If so, where?
A. Yes. You can register to vote and update you voter registration at these locations:

  • At our office by bringing in two forms of identification; one form MUST show your current address.
  • At the Board of Election Office located at 69 W. Washington, Suite 600, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • When you renew your Driver’s License or are visiting any State Agency.

Q. Can I register to vote by mailing in an application?
A. Yes. Print out a Voter Registration Form from the Chicago Board of Elections’ website, fill out the form and mail it back to the Chicago Board of Elections.

The deadline to register to vote via the Mail-in form is Tuesday, October 9th at 11:59 p.m.

Q. How do I know if I am registered?
A. Check the Chicago Board of Elections’ website to find out.

Q. Who can register to vote?
A. Anyone who is 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of their precinct at least 30 days prior to an election, can register.

Q. Do I need to re-register before every election?
A. No. The only time you need to re-register is when you change your address (even when you move within the ward), or change your name.

Q. To vote in an election, when do I need to register by?
A. To vote in an election, you MUST be registered thirty (30) days before the election.

Helpful Links and Documents

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