Early voting kicks off Monday throughout suburban Cook County

Additional voting sites are opening across Cook County and the rest of the state for voters who want to cast an early ballot for the primary March 20.

Some early voting locations in Chicago opened last month, but many more are set to open Monday, offering voting during mornings, evenings and weekends in addition to regular business hours.

Voters will choose the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, attorney general and many other contested races, along with local races such as the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

RELATED: Check out the Sun-Times 2018 Illinois Primary Voting Guide

Illinois has an open primary, meaning voters don’t have to belong to a particular party or declare a formal affiliation to cast a ballot in either the Republican or Democratic contests. Voters don’t have to provide a reason why they can’t vote on March 20.

What you need to know:

1. Voters do not need to provide an excuse or reason why they cannot vote on Election Day.
2. Government-issued photo ID is not required but is helpful if there is a question about the voter’s registration, address or signature.
3. You can register to vote at all early-voting sites; two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter’s current address, is needed.
4. Early voting is conducted on touch screens that store every ballot style in the county, permitting any voter in suburban Cook to vote at any location.
5. Voters who participate in early voting must vote in person.