Can I vote by mail in my state?

Eight states plus D.C. mail every registered voter a ballot automatically. Twenty-nine states let any voter request a mail ballot with no excuse. Thirteen states require a qualifying reason such as travel, illness, disability, or age. Enter your ZIP code at ballotbymail.org for your state's rule and deadlines.

When is the deadline to request a mail ballot for the November 3, 2026 election?

It varies by state, from three weeks before Election Day to the day before. Most fall between October 19 and October 30, 2026. Request deadlines are 'received by,' not postmarked.

Did the federal government ban mail-in voting?

No. Whether you can vote by mail is set by your state. A 2026 executive order changed how the Postal Service handles mail ballots and is being litigated. Request early and return by drop box or in person where available.

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Ballot by Mail
ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan

November 3, 2026 general election

Voting by mail in Illinois

Yes. Anyone can request a mail ballot. Any registered voter can request a mail (absentee) ballot, no reason needed. There's a deadline, so request early. Ballots go out 40 days before Election Day (Sept. 24). In-person applications are accepted until the day before. Drop boxes are postage-free. Voters with print disabilities can get an electronically delivered ballot.

Key dates

Register to vote by	Tue, Oct 6 by mail, Sun, Oct 18 online (same-day registration also available)
Mail ballot request received by	Thu, Oct 29
Early in-person voting	Thu, Sep 24 – Mon, Nov 2
Mail your ballot by	Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days)
Election Day	Tue, Nov 3
ID at the polls	No ID needed at the polls. Without one: Registered voters vote a regular ballot on signature; only a mail registrant who was required to show ID and does not is given a provisional ballot, which is not counted unless the registration ID is supplied.
Return rule	Postmarked by Election Day and received within 14 days after (Nov. 17), or in a drop box before polls close on Election Day.
Fix a flagged ballot by	Tue, Nov 17
Missed the request deadline?	Voter admitted to a hospital, nursing home or rehabilitation center not more than 14 days before the election (on or after Oct. 20), or released but expected to be homebound on Election Day: by Tue, Nov 3, 7 p.m. (voted ballot back at the election authority).
Who can return it for you	Anyone you choose may return it. State Board of Elections notice: in-person delivery may be by the voter, by any person authorized by the voter, or by a licensed motor-carrier delivery company; must be received before polls close at 7 p.m. No numeric limit stated. The notice does not mention drop boxes (the SBE vote-by-mail page says drop boxes exist and are postage-free, but does not say who may use them).

Steps

Request your ballot now. Don't wait for the deadline.
Confirm your registration and mailing address while you're at it.
When it arrives, fill it out in blue or black ink and sign the envelope.
Return it by drop box or in person if you can. Mail it at least a week early if not.
Track it on your state's tracker until it shows received.

Don't get rejected

Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
Your state goes by the postmark. Automated postmarks can lag a day, so hand it to a clerk at the post office counter and ask for a manual postmark (free).
Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.

Official election office
https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/votingbymail.aspx

Track your ballot
https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionAuthorities.aspx

Polling place and sample ballot
https://ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx

This page, with live updates
ballotbymail.org/state/il

Trouble voting? 866-OUR-VOTE (English) · 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español) · 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages) · 844-YALLA-US (العربية)

Spot something wrong? We check every report against the state's own page and fix errors as soon as they're reported: fix@ballotbymail.org or ballotbymail.org/report

Scan for the live versionballotbymail.org/state/il — updated daily, with the latest deadlines and any changes to this state's official page.

Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.