Lake Forest, Illinois Public Records

For those researching their family history or genealogy, the Lake Forest Illinois Archives and Genealogy provide additional resources and guidance on accessing vital records and other historical documents related to the city and its residents.

In-person registration is available at the Lake County Clerk's office, and automatic registration occurs when obtaining a driver's license at the Illinois Secretary of State. Registration must be completed 16 days before any election for online and mail submissions, though Illinois offers Election Day registration and voting at designated sites including the Lake County Clerk's office and certain polling places with proper identification and proof of residency. Acceptable IDs include driver's license, state ID, passport, employee ID, student ID, or two pieces of mail with current address. Municipal elections in the city take place in odd-numbered years for Mayor and City Council positions, with the next one scheduled for April 2025. The City Council consists of the Mayor and eight aldermen representing four wards, serving staggered four-year terms. Candidate petitions for municipal offices must be filed with the Lake County Clerk approximately four months before the election. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the Polling Place Lookup tool at www.lakecountyil.gov/148/Polling-Places or by calling the Lake County Clerk's election hotline. Publicly accessible election records include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes only, not commercial use), candidate filings and nominating petitions maintained by the Lake County Clerk, campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections at www.elections.il.gov, and precinct-level election results published after certification. During the November 2024 presidential election, the county recorded approximately 70% voter turnout among registered voters, with total votes cast exceeding 375,000 across 537 precincts. The community typically demonstrates higher turnout than county averages, often exceeding 75% in presidential elections. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical races including the Illinois Governor's race as Governor J.B. Pritzker's current term expires in January 2027, one U.S. Senate seat (Illinois's Class III Senate seat), all Illinois U.S. House seats (the city is represented in Congress by the 10th District), Illinois General Assembly seats including State Senate District 28 and State House District 56, countywide offices including Lake County Board positions, and potentially Park Board positions if terms align. Illinois allows vote-by-mail (absentee voting) for any reason. Voters can request mail ballots online at www.lakecountyil.gov/VoteByMail or by submitting an application to the Lake County Clerk's office, with applications accepted beginning 90 days before an election and due by 5 days before Election Day for mail delivery, though in-person requests can be made through the day before the election.