Voting in Champaign County

IMPORTANT DATES FOR VOTERS
SEPTEMBER 24: Early  Voting Begins at Champaign County Clerk's office.
SEPTEMBER 24:  County Clerk begins sending out requested mail-in ballots.
OCTOBER 6 :  Close of Voter Registration (before grace period registration begins)  
OCTOBER 7:  Grace Period Voter Registration Begins (continues through election day)
OCTOBER 18:   Illinois Online Voter Registration Closes at 11:59 PM (www.ova.elections.il.gov).
OCTOBER 19-NOVEMBER 2:   Early Voting Period at various locations in Champaign County
OCTOBER 29:  Last day to request a mail-in ballot
NOVEMBER 3:   ELECTION DAY (Grace period registration is available at your polling location) 
NOVEMBER 3:   Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by November 3 to be counted.

Visit the Champaign County Clerk website for  more information about voter registration, in-person voting times and locations, and mail-in voting:
  www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections

Mail-In Voting

RECENT LEGISLATION EXPANDS VOTING OPTIONS IN ILLINOIS
Governor Pritzker signed legislation (June 16, 2020) which takes into account the uncertainties created by the pandemic by expanding vote by mail options.  Highlights include:

Election authorities are required to send vote-by-mail applications for the November 3 general election to the 5 million voters who participated in the 2018 general election, the 2019 municipal elections or the March 2020 primary.

Election Day will be a school holiday, and a holiday for state and local employees.

Early Voting Hours must have polls open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends and holidays while allowing curbside voting, in which voters can fill out the ballot outside of the polling place. Local election authorities can also set aside additional early voting hours for voters who may be at greatest risk of contracting the coronavirus and must establish a central voting site where anyone who lives in the jurisdiction can vote.

Federal monies will be disbursed by the Illinois State Board of Elections to local election authorities to pay for the expenses of the 2020 general election.

SUSAN DISCUSSES UPDATED OPTIONS FOR VOTING ON FACEBOOK 
"People are concerned about the voting process for our November 3 general election.

In Illinois, there is no difference between absentee voting, a term with which we are all familiar, and voting by mail. The process is the same, but even easier to facilitate now due to the technology which allows us to request a ballot by mail, and by the methods devised to send in the ballot after you have received it. You can go online to the Champaign County Clerk's website, and electronically submit your application to vote by mail. The application is simple and easy to complete. Once you have received your ballot, you will have the choice of either mailing it back, or dropping it in a secure drop box.

There will be six drop box locations, where the ballots will be picked up on a daily basis by a team of one judge each from the Democratic and Republican parties. Depending on the course of the pandemic, there are still plans for early voting at different locations, and same day voting on November 3 at 94 polling places.

I sincerely hope that all of these options are available. However, this election is too important to leave your vote to chance. I am encouraging you to vote by mail, both for yourselves, and also for the brave frontline workers, your election judges. I appreciate your consideration of this information."

COUNTY CLERK AARON AMMONS ANSWERS VOTE BY MAIL QUESTIONS:
County Clerk Aaron Ammons has provided the following information in response to questions about drop boxes for your information:

ARE DROP BOXES SECURE?
Yes, they are a quarter-inch steel and cemented and bolted to the ground. They are placed under street lighting and in view of security cameras. The ballots are collected daily at each location by an election judge from the Democratic Party and an election judge from the Republican Party.

WHERE WILL THEY BE LOCATED?
There are 6 locations right now, and more may be added. Those locations are:
• Brookens Administration Center, 1776 E. Washington, Urbana (circle drive)
• Urbana Free Library, 210 W. Green St., Urbana
• Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign
• Champaign Public Library - Douglass Branch, 504 E. Grove St., Champaign
• University of Illinois Quad, Northwest corner, accessible by foot or bike only
• Between Sholem Pool and Leonard Recreation Center, Champaign

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS are posted on the County Clerk's Website