Harper College will be closed Tuesday, November 5 in observance of Election Day.
Author: Jessica Unger, Harper College student
GOTV stands for Get Out the Vote. It’s talking to members of your community or social network, helping them understand how to participate in an
upcoming election.
No! You are sharing FREE, neutral, unbiased resources with no hidden agenda, other than increasing voter registration and participation! You do not have to be extremely knowledgeable or participate in ANY discourse on any candidate or issue.
Click on the topics below to view the details of the toolkit category. Here's what you'll gain by reviewing the toolkit:
It’s key to grab attention in a succinct, polite way. Here’s an example for you to use or customize.
Introduce yourself:
“Hi, I’m your neighbor, ______. I’ll be brief; I’m just making sure you have what you need to participate in the upcoming election. Do you have a plan to vote?”
If they do have a plan, thank them for their time and move on to your next conversation!
If they do not have a plan, ask if they would like the link to online voter registration, or let them know that Illinois has same-day voter registration at their polling place!
If they are registered, ask if they need more information, such as where, when, or how to vote. You can also suggest mail-in voting! Use the included resources to make this easy!
You may encounter constituents who share that they do not believe they are eligible to vote. This can be for many reasons, including criminal history.
In Illinois, the only requirements are that the voter be a US citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and live in their precinct for 30 days before the election.
If you have completed a prison sentence, you are IMMEDIATELY eligible to register to vote, including while on probation or parole.
You are not eligible to vote in Illinois if you are registered to vote in another state or are currently in prison or jail for a conviction.
For more information, visit the U.S. Vote Foundation website's requirements and information resources.
To find easy, official online Illinois voter registration, visit the Illinois Online Voter Registration Application website.
Important note: The registration period for the online voter registration systemwill close at 11:59 PM on 10/20/2024 and will reopen on 11/07/2024.
To find your polling place, visit the Illinois Online Voter Polling Place Lookup.
Visit Ballotpedia to see exactly what issues and candidateswill be on your ballot before you vote!
View your sample ballot with their lookup tool.This non-partisan sample ballot is available at ballotpedia.org.
Mail-in voting is safe and easy!Learn more, check out the FAQ section, and register to vote by mail through Illinois’ official election site.
Click here to register for permanent vote-by-mail, so your ballots will arrive with plenty of time to fill them in and send them off.
Important note:Vote-by-mail registration for the 2024 November election is available beginning August 7. Requests must be made by November 4. You can still access information about it at any time.
Still have questions? For additional information, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website.