The Phoenix’s Guide To Voting In 2024

As the countdown to the 2024 Presidential election continues, here are the different ways Loyola students can cast their vote and what deadlines voters need to pay attention to. 

This year’s election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5. Rules differ by state, but many eligible and registered voters can vote in-person or mail through absentee ballots.

Voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots not only for the presidential candidates, but also for state representatives, senators, mayors and ballot initiatives. Specific information about what’s on the ballot in each state can be found at your home state’s election website.

Registering to Vote

Voters must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen and meet their state’s residency status to be eligible to vote.

First time voters can register to vote at Vote.gov by selecting their state and clicking on the first link to start their registration. 

If students have already registered to vote, they can confirm or update their registration at Vote.gov by entering their state and scrolling down to the “confirm your voter registration status” link. 

Illinois allows voters to register online until Oct. 20, but if voters are registering by mail, the request must be postmarked by Oct. 8. In-person registration is available from now until Election Day at voters’ local polling station. 

First-year political science student Dylan Sullivan said he’s been registered to vote since he got his driver’s license. He plans to head to his local polling site to cast his vote. 

Registration deadlines vary depending on the state. Voters can view the deadlines for the presidential election at Vote.gov by selecting their state. 

Voting Locations

Students who are registered to vote in Illinois and wish to vote in-person can find their nearest polling location by entering their zip code into the state’s Polling Place Locator. 

Fourth-year political science student Ximena Castaneda said she will be casting her vote early at a local polling site. 

“Last presidential election, I was a couple days off so it was frustrating,” Castaneda said. 

Early voting in Illinois opened Sept. 26 for every jurisdiction aside from Cook County, which will open Oct. 3, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Information on where to vote early in each jurisdiction can be found at the Illinois State Board of Elections page. 

IDs are not required to be shown at Illinois polling sites, but there may be cases where a form of identification is needed — including when a voter is filing a change in address on their registration or when a voter’s mail-in registration didn’t include a form of identification. 

Chicago voters can visit the Chicago Elections website to find out more about when an ID is needed and what forms of ID are accepted at polling sites. 

If a student is registering to vote in-person, two forms of ID must be brought with them to complete the process. Acceptable forms of ID include passports, drivers licenses, university IDs, Social Security cards and credit or debit cards.  

Polling sites in Illinois are scheduled to be open from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Voting with Absentee Ballots

Loyola students who wish to vote in other states can use absentee ballots to vote by mail. Students may have received an application for an absentee ballot in the mail before they left for college but if they didn’t, they can visit Vote.org to request one. 

Kate Quasius, a fourth-year student studying computer science, said she already has her absentee ballot and will be casting her vote in Wisconsin.

“It’s my first time voting in a presidential election so I’m excited about that,” Quasius said.

Each state has varying deadlines for when absentee ballots need to be requested by and when they must be sent in for counting. Each state’s deadline information is laid out in a chart provided by Vote.org. 

Loyola Votes provides a “Toolkit” for voting, resources for staying informed and making a voting plan and a voter guide on their website. Answers to additional questions as well as further information can be found at Vote.gov.