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Some of the most common circumstances when a provisional ballot is issued:

• You are not found as registered and cannot provide required documentation or witness.
• You are challenged by a pollwatcher in the voting site, and you cannot provide required documentation or a witness.
• Voting time is extended by court order.
• You are voting for the first time after you registered by mail, did not provide required documentation with your registration, and cannot provide ID when voting.
• You are marked as having voted during early voting.
• You requested and received a ballot by mail but cannot surrender it to the election judges.
• You’re wishing to register with your current address but cannot provide required documentation or a witness.
• You insist on voting at incorrect Election Day voting site.

In the voting site, you and the election judge will complete a Provisional Ballot Envelope. The election judge will give you a ballot and the affidavit envelope. After marking your ballot, you seal it in the provisional affidavit envelope and return it to the election judge. Your ballot is NOT placed in the ballot bin.

Provisional ballots are returned to the Lake County Clerk’s office for determination AFTER Election Day. You have seven days to provide the required documentation to the Lake County Clerk’s office. A provisional ballot can be found valid and cast, or found invalid and not cast. The determination on whether to cast a provisional ballot is based on information from the Lake County Clerk, Illinois State Board of Elections and/or the Secretary of State’s office.

When available, you can track the status of your provisional ballot here by referencing the ballot access number on your white Provisional Voter Ballot Receipt.