Participate
 
Vote
 
    Any U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old and has lived in their precinct for at 30 days prior to an election is eligible to vote in Chicago (so long as you don’t try to vote some place else, too).
    Chicagoans can register by filling out a registration form and sending it to:
 
    Chicago Board of Elections
    69 W. Washington Street #500
    Chicago, IL  60602
 
    You can check your registration status and find your polling place here.
    Information on upcoming elections and voting procedures can be found at the Cook County Clerk’s Office’s website.
 
Attend
 
    Chicago City Council meetings and committee meetings are open to the public.  A calendar of upcoming council meetings can be found here.
    Both Alderman Toni Preckwinkle of the 4th Ward and Alderman Leslie A. Hairston of the 5th Ward hold monthly ward meetings to discuss issues of local concern.  A schedule of upcoming 5th Ward meetings can be found here and residents are encouraged to call Alderman Preckwinkle’s office at (773) 536-8103 to obtain the schedule for 4th Ward meetings.
 
 
Volunteer
 
    The Illinois Democratic Party, Cook County Republican Party, Illinois Green Party and Illinois Libertarian Party all actively encourage citizens volunteering.  Interested residents should also contact the Independent Voters of Illinois and their local aldermen if they are interested in volunteer opportunities.
        The Chicago Board of Elections always needs more election judges.  Find out how to participate here.
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Image sources
Voter: Chicago History Museum.  Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0085330. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum.  Image cropped.