According to the Illinois Code of Elections:
Vote by Mail (previously “absentee”) Increasingly more people are choosing to vote by a vote by mail ballot. A registered voter can vote by mail without excuse. Under the law, any duly registered voter in Illinois may apply to the county clerk or to the Board of Election Commissioners to receive an official ballot for that voter’s precinct to be voted at such election. 10 ILCS 5/19-2. The request may be made by mail or electronically on the website of the appropriate election authority, not more than 90 nor less than 5 days prior to the date of such election, or by personal delivery not more than 90 nor less than one day prior to the date of such election. The vote by mail ballot application sets forth where the ballot is to be voted, residential information concerning the voter and simply that the voter wants to vote via a vote by mail ballot. 10
ILCS 5/19-3. Any person may distribute or reproduce vote by mail ballot requests, and any person – not just the voter – may return a vote by mail ballot application to the election
authority.
Once the election authority sends a vote by mail ballot to the voter, only the voter may handle that ballot. The voter himself or herself, someone authorized by the voter, or a company licensed in Illinois as a motor carrier of property may deliver that ballot to the election authority. If a vote by mail ballot is rejected by the election judge or official for any reason, the election authority must, within 2 days after the rejection, but in all cases before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots, notify the vote by mail voter that his or her ballot was rejected. The notice must inform the voter of the reason or reasons for the rejection and state that the voter may appear before the election authority, on or before the 14th day after the election, to show cause as to why the ballot should not be rejected. The voter may present evidence to the election authority supporting his or her contention that the ballot should be counted. The election authority appoints a panel of 3 election judges to review the contested ballot, application, and certification envelope, as well as any evidence submitted by the vote by mail voter. The reviewing panel of election judges must make a final determination as to the validity of the contested vote by mail ballot.10ILCS 5/19-8(g-5)
Who can vote by mail in Cook County in Illinois? Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot using this online application. Once we verify your registration and process your application, we will send a paper ballot to the mailing address you designate in your application. The deadline to apply is five days before an election.
To complete an online mail ballot application,
you will need:
– your driver’s license or state identification number;
– the last four digits of your Social Security Number;
– the address where you would like your ballot mailed; and
– an email address
Here is the link to apply online for application to vote by mail (VBM) in Cook County: https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/agency/vote-mail
Important Dates for the March 17 Presidential Primary:
The first day to file an application for a vote by mail ballot with the Election Authority is 12/18/2019.
All requests by mail must be received by the Election Authority by 3/12/2020.
All in-person early voting requests must be made by 3/16/2020.
When are the VBM (Vote By Mail) Ballots counted? Counting is done at the central ballot counting location starting at 7pm ON ELECTION DAY. (10 ILCS 5/19-8).