From the U.S. presidential election to local referendums to the many judges presiding over some ballots, Illinois voters have a lot to think about in the 2024 election.

How will the races go? To watch Illinois election results live from across the state on Tuesday, bookmark this page on NBCChicago.com and the NBC Chicago app.

Once votes are counted, results will appear on NBC Chicago's live election results page on the website and app. Polls close on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. The results will be displayed for the first half hour and will be updated live as the votes are counted.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE VOTING RESULTS

Voters looking for real-time election updates can download the NBC Chicago app to receive push notifications on trending races and key events. Tune in to the NBC Chicago News streaming channel or watch live election coverage in the top player on this site.

When will the election results be available?

However, experts warn that official calls could take some time.

“This will be election week, not election day,” said Democratic strategist Peter Giangreco.

That's because of laws in key swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where clerks aren't able to process mail-in ballots before Election Day. In 2020, these states were decided by approximately 20,000 and 80,000 votes, respectively.

“In other states they can open them and check them. You can flatten them so all you have to do is run them through the scanners. “In Pennsylvania, they can’t even touch them,” Giangreco said. “So we’re probably looking at Friday or Saturday before we know Pennsylvania.”

According to Dr. According to Kevin Boyle, chairman of the history department at Northwestern University, delays in a presidential election campaign are not uncommon.

“There are a lot of stories of presidential candidates who just go to bed not knowing whether they won the presidency or not,” Boyle said.

In 2020, it took four days for President Joe Biden to be officially declared the winner. In 2000, the outcome hinged on just 537 votes in Florida, with networks calling the state “too close to call” for Al Gore, then George Bush before he decided the race.

In the 19th and 20th centuries there were many elections that were not called on election night.

“As recently as 1960, John Kennedy wasn’t announced as the winner of the presidency until the next day,” Boyle said. “Richard Nixon wasn't announced as the winner of the presidency until the next day in 1968.” And then there was an explosion in exit polls, making it easier to pick a winner more quickly and to name a winner more quickly. And many elections up to 2000 were not very close.”

Who is voting in the 2024 Illinois election?

With early voting underway and just days until Election Day, many are probably wondering what they'll see on their ballots when they go to the polls.

Beyond the presidential election, there are local elections, judicial votes and referendum questions to think about.

However, what you see depends on where you live and where you are registered to vote. (Scroll down for sample ballot)

Illinois is moving away from the U.S. Senate vote by one election cycle, with Sens. Dick Durbin up for re-election in 2026 and Tammy Duckworth in 2028.

However, it will be up to state voters to vote for president, with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. all on the ballot for that office.

In addition to the presidential race, all 17 Illinois seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as all of the state's House of Representatives seats and one-third of the state's Senate seats, will be up for election.

In addition, there will be three advisory questions on the ballot paper at the statewide level as well as referendums in numerous municipalities and districts.

Finally, there will be a limited number of municipal and county races in the 2024 general election.

NBC has put together a tool to help voters determine which races they will see on their ballots this November.

For more information about which races appear on your ballot, visit the NBC Chicago app.

Are there referendums on voting in Illinois?

According to the State Board of Elections, there are three advisory questions on Illinois' November ballot, none of which will be binding.

One question will be whether candidates should face civil penalties if they interfere with the official duties of a poll worker. A second will ask whether a constitutional amendment requiring an additional 3% tax on income over $1 million should be passed to provide property tax relief. The third question concerns whether reproductive treatments should be covered by state health insurance.

Voters in some Chicago districts will also face a number of advisory questions. For more information on these questions, visit the NBC Chicago app.

Voters living outside the city of Chicago can find information about their referendums here.

How to vote in Illinois

Of course, voters in Illinois can vote in the general election on November 5, but there are several other ways to cast their ballot in the state.

The first option available to voters will be early voting, which is currently underway and will continue through Election Day. Participating polling locations can be found on the NBC Chicago app.

Voters can also cast their vote by mail. You can find applications for this here on the State Board of Elections website and must be returned no later than five days before the election.

Illinois residents who will not be in the country on Election Day also have the option to vote abroad and in the military. A complete manual is available on the Board of Elections website.