Thursday is the first day that registered Illinois voters can participate in the March 17 general primary. Early voting continues through March 16 at the local office of election authority and other permanent locations.

Registered voters can contact their local election authority and request a ballots by mail. Or, voters can cast their votes in person at either the office of the local election authority or at temporary locations determined by the local election authority. The Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) offers this information online.

Illinois residents can verify that they are properly registered to vote through the ISBE website. Also, they can locate polling places or find contact information for state and federal elected officials using the ISBE website.

The Illinois State Board of Elections offers a plethora of online resources available to any Illinois resident.

The general election is Nov. 3.