There are 14 days until the Nov. 8 elections when Americans will go to the polls and vote for the candidate who they wish to be the next president of the United States.  

If Americans have not yet registered to vote, there is still time. The following tips will assist in keeping voters confident in what they’re doing.

Registration check:

Residents must be registered to vote in the state of Illinois. Those who wish to vote can check their registration status at ova.elections.il.gov.

Types of ID necessary:

If an Illinois resident is not registered to vote or has moved since the last time they voted, they must register online at the above website and use up-to-date information and a driver’s license. If a resident does not have a driver’s license, they can register in person until Nov. 8.

In-person registration requires showing two types of identification, one being a picture ID, which includes a passport, student or employment ID and a second piece of mail that reflects the voter’s name and current mailing address. These secondary types of ID include utility bills, pay stubs or bank statements.  

Registering in person:

If a voter wants to register in person instead of online, they can look up six Cook County Clerk offices including one within the city of Chicago to suburban Chicago areas. Voters can look up their closest Cook County Clerk’s office by visiting cookcountyclerk.com.  

Voting by mail:

Residents can vote by mail by filling out an application from either their nearest county clerk’s office or board of election commissioners, see elections.il.gov. The completed application must be mailed to the election authority containing the voter’s home address so that a mailing ballot can be mailed.

Voting by mail starts 40 days prior to the election but mail-in balloting ends Nov. 3.

Things voters can take into the polling booth:

The presidential candidates have been campaigning for months now. Candidates for elected office seats such as Illinois General Assembly, Congress and judiciary seats are also campaigning to get elected to their desired post. Many are running unopposed.

Illinois voters have the chance to research the candidates running for office and take extensive notes about them. Furthermore, voters can take these notes with them to the polls as a guide towards the choices they want to make.

A voter with children under the age of 18 may accompany their parent into the booth. Federal anti-discrimination laws prevent polling locations from denying a service-animal from accompanying a voter with a disability.    

Judge seats open for election and retention are Appellate, Cook County Circuit and Suburban Circuit. More in-depth information on justices up for re-election can also be found at injusticewatch.org.

An evaluation on a justice is also public information and can be found at Illinois State Bar Associations website, isba.org/judicialevaluations.