You don't need your voter registration card to vote, so you should be fine. You can check the status of your voter registration - and find your polling place location - here: http://www.chicagoelections.com/voterinfo.php.

If you need to know what to bring to the polls, check out this handy reference: http://il.electionland.com/questions/18137-what-do-i-bring-to-the-polls.

Yes, you do.

We agree that our current system of voter registration is outdated, serves as a barrier to political participation, and is the number one cause of election problems. We've got a lot of ideas for reform.

GOOD

In order to make registration easier, Rock the Vote supports efforts around same-day registration – meaning you can register to vote on Election Day when you go to the polls.

BETTER

There are also movements underway for pre-registration. A system whereby eligible 16-17-year-olds may be "pre-registered" to vote. This would bring young people into the voter registration system before they leave public school to begin work or college and are more difficult to track down. Upon turning 18, they would receive a notice they had been added to the voter registration rolls. Pre-registration of young people is already law in many states, including Hawaii, Minnesota, Maine, Oregon and most recently Florida.

BEST

While both of the above are steps in the right direction, Rock the Vote and partner organizations support automatic permanent registration. This shifts the obligation to the states to build voter registration rolls. Rather than putting that burden on individual citizens to register and update their registration each time they move - a system that is both a barrier for participation and complicated to administrate - states would be required to ensure voter roles are complete and up-to-date.

You do not have to register to vote every year. If you have already registered to vote and haven't moved since the last time you voted then you should still be on the rolls. You can verify your voter registration status here: http://www.elections.il.gov/VotingInformation/RegistrationLookup.aspx.

Hope that helps!

In order to vote, Illinois law states that you:

1) Must be a citizen of the United States
2) Must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day
3) Must have been a resident of the precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day
4) Your voter registration form must be dropped off or postmarked by the deadline:

General Election Voter Registration Deadline: October 5, 2010