With under a week left until the 2022 Midterm Elections on Nov. 8, voting can be a complicated process for most people, especially students. If this election is your first time casting a ballot, here’s everything you need to know in order to make your voice heard. 

Election Registration Deadlines

To register to vote in the state of Illinois, the voter must be a US citizen, 18-years-old by the time of the general election and not serving a sentence because of a criminal conviction. Additionally, while the deadlines for online or mail ballot registration has ended, voters can register for in person voting at their polling place up until the day of the election which is Nov. 8. \

If voters register earlier than the day of the election, they can also participate in early voting at their nearest polling place. Here is a link to make sure you are registered to vote in Illinois. 

Links to find your polling place in Cook County, Dupage County and Will County. 

On Election Day, polls in Illinois will open at 6 a.m. statewide and will stay open until 7 p.m. But a reminder that if you are IN LINE at 7 p.m. you can still vote! Even if workers tell you that the polls have closed, as long as you are in line when the clock hits seven, it is your constitutional right to vote. 

Who’s on the Ballot?

While some candidates may be different depending on where you live in the state of Illinois, here are some of the statewide races and candidates that all Illinois voters will see on their ballot. 

Governor/Lieutenant Governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton (D) v Sen. Darren Bailey and Lieutenant Governor Stephanie Trussell (R)

Attorney General: Incumbent Kwame Raoul (D) v Thomas DeVore (R)

Secretary of State: Alexi Giannoulias (D) v Dan Brady (R)

Treasurer: Incumbent Mike Frerichs (D) v Tom Demmer (R)

Comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza (D) v Shannon Teresi (R)

US Senate: Incumbent Tammy Duckworth (D) v Kathy Salvi (R)

These are just the statewide elections that all Illinoisians can vote. There are additional races using this link to find your local representatives and politicians depending on where you live in the state. 

Why it’s important to vote

Only 51.4% of people ages 18-24 voted in the 2020 election having the lowest turnout compared to any other age group. In almost every country with democratic policies, there is a significant age gap regarding voting turnout with the older population consistently turning out more than double the voters. In the United States only 62.8% of people who are of legal age to vote and 94.1% of those registered to vote actually cast a ballot. With expanded voting options like mail-in ballots, absentee ballots and early voting, sharing your voice has never been easier. 

When thinking about the voting process, Emma Anderson, a government teacher at Lemont High School says that voting continues to be a vital yet overwhelming part of our nation and democracy. 

Anderson said “I would say definitely one thing that is intimidating when you vote for the first time is how many people are on the ballot and how many positions there are to vote for. So I guess just looking up what the ballot you are going to get looks like so then you can research the different positions and who’s running for what.” 

Voting can seem like a daunting task, but the most important thing to remember is to do your research, base your ballot on your opinion and facts, not political ads or propaganda. But it’s the fact that we have the power TO vote, that we should use this power to the best of our ability. 

“Voting is a gift in our democracy and it’s the only way to guarantee that your voice is heard in the political process. We should be taking advantage of that,” said Anderson.