Illinois county clerks
are preparing to send out applications to vote by mail this week due to a new
law regarding voting by mail for the 2020 General Election.
Williamson County
Clerk Amanda Barnes and her staff will send about 30,000 applications in Williamson
County. “We are sending them out because the state required us to do that,”
Barnes said.
The law provides
special vote-by-mail provisions for the 2020 general election, including:
- All voters who voted in either the
March 2020 primary, April 2019 consolidated election or November 2018
general election will receive by mail an application for a vote-by-mail
ballot.
- Anyone who registered to vote or
updated their registration between March 18 and July 31 will be mailed an
application for a vote-by-mail ballot.
The state’s online voter registration site
now allows users to request a mail ballot when they register.
Voters may request a
vote-by-mail ballot in their county of residence from the county clerk’s
office. In Williamson County, this can be completed at www.williamsoncountyil.gov
by clicking the “Election Info” button on the homepage and then selecting
“Voter lookup.”
“If you want to vote
by mail, fill out the application and send it back in,” Barnes said.
Voters can apply to
vote by mail anytime. Ballots will be mailed to applicants beginning Sept. 24,
which is also the first day of early voting. The deadline for applying for a
mail ballot is Oct. 29. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 to be
accepted, and properly postmarked ballots will be accepted through Nov. 17.
To ensure proper
verification of ballots before they are accepted and to inform voters in a
timely manner if their ballot is rejected, a panel of three election judges
will review the voter’s signature. A ballot may be rejected for an invalid
signature only by unanimous decision of the judges.
The ballot may be
rejected if two of the three judges agree that: The ballot envelope was
delivered opened; the certification envelope contains no signature; the voter
has already cast a ballot; the voter voted in person on Election Day; or the
voter is not a duly registered voter.
Barnes said voting by
mail is not new in Illinois. However, this is a good way for anyone at risk for
complications from COVID-19 to cast a vote.
In-person, early
voting will begin Sept. 24 in local county courthouses and other designated
locations. Early voting will end Nov. 2.
“In October, we will
be open every Friday until 6 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays,” Barnes
said.
Barnes is concerned
that the number of election judges available for this election will be low.
Many of the people who usually fill that role may be at higher risk for
COVID-19, which may prevent them from serving in the general election. Election
judges keep track of who has voted at the polling places, check registration
and help make sure ballots are accepted into ballot boxes.
“If you would like to
be an election judge, call us,” she said.
Barnes also reminded
everyone to wear masks or face coverings and practice social distancing when
voting in person either early or on Election Day.
For more information
about voting or if you are interested in serving as an election judge, call the
county clerk in your county of residence. Local county clerks include: Franklin,
618-435-9800; Jackson, 618-687-7360; Perry, 618-357-5116; Saline, 618-253-8197;
Union, 618–833-5711; Williamson, 618-998-2112.