Your guide to voting early in the March 2024 primary in St. Clair County and Illinois

Though it may seem like the fall’s presidential election is a far way off, voting in Illinois’ 2024 primary began Thursday.

This week kicks off the state’s 40-day early voting period leading to the Tuesday, March 19 primary contest — one sure to prove popular in the presidential election year.

Several states have already cast primary ballots in the 2024 election, including the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucuses, the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary and the Feb. 3 Democratic primary in South Carolina.

If you’re ready to cast your ballot in a number of federal, state and local races, we’ve rounded up this quick guide for metro-east and other Illinois voters.

When is the early voting period in Illinois for the March primaries?

Thursday, Feb. 8 was the first day for Illinois voters to cast a ballot during the early voting period, which runs through Monday, March 18. Many counties will open additional early voting locations at permanent polling places other than election offices beginning Monday, March 4.

While turnout tends to be stronger in presidential election years, during the 2020 presidential primary contests, more than 2.2 million Illinois residents cast a ballot, or 28.36% of registered voters, data from the Ilinois State Board of Elections indicates. For St. Clair County, 40,300 voters participated in the primary.

Illinois offers a longer early voting period than many states, according an analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures, which put the average early voting period at 20 days.

Where do I vote early in St. Clair County? What times are the polls open?

For those who reside in St. Clair County, early voting opened for weekdays beginning Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can cast a ballot by visiting the county clerk’s office, located on the second floor of the building at 10 Public Square in Belleville.

In addition, two more sites will open beginning March 4: The Rec Complex (9950 Bunkum Road in Fairview Heights) and the O’Fallon Township Office (801 East State St. in O’Fallon).

With the additional sites, voting hours will also change and expand to weekends, according to the clerk’s office.

• March 4 to March 8: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to noon; and Sunday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• March 11 to March 18: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Clair County’s temporary voting site is located at McKendree University, 400 N. Alton St. in Lebanon Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Many county clerk’s offices, including St. Clair County, will be closed and not taking voters on President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 19.

I live elsewhere in the metro-east, where can I vote early?

Illinois voters may be able to access information on their early voting sites through the state’s registration search tool or similar searches offered by individual counties.

Here are the early voting locations opening Thursday for other metro-east counties and information on additional sites opening in early March:

• Madison County: The first floor of the Edwardsville-County Administration Building, 157 N. Main St. in Edwardsville from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can find information about additional locations opening in March and extended hours online.

• Monroe County: Monroe County Courthouse, 100 S. Main St. in Waterloo from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can find information about additional early voting times online.

• Clinton County: Room 230 of the Clinton County Clerk’s Office, 850 Fairfax St. in Carlyle. You can find additional information on voting in Clinton County online.

• Randolph County: Front room of the Randolph County Clerk’s Office, 1 W. Taylor St. in Chester from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Bond County: Bond County Clerk’s Office, 206 W. Main St. in Greenville weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Washington County: 101 E. Saint Louis St. in Nashville from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can find more information about voting in Washington County online.

According to the State Board of Elections, accommodations like curbside voting should be available during the early voting period for people who require assistance.

Who can vote early in Illinois?

Anyone eligible to vote in Illinois can cast a ballot during the early voting period. Those potential voters include those who are 17 years old as of March 18 and will be 18 by the Tuesday, Nov. 5 General Election. You do not need an excuse to vote early in Illinois.

If you are not registered to vote in Illinois but qualify, you can visit your county’s election office with the required identifying information and register.

Do I need an ID to vote in Illinois?

Illinois does not have a voter identification law that requires voters to present a photo ID at the polls, however, you may need identification if you are not registered to vote or registered to vote by mail.

Can I still vote by mail in the March primary election?

Yes. Those who have already requested their mail-in ballot for the primary can expect it soon, as counties can begin mailing them out Thursday.

You can request your mail-in ballot through your county election office, in-person or online. The application for a mail-in ballot in St. Clair County can be found online and emailed back to the office.

The deadline to request a mail-ballot for the March 19 primary is Thursday, March 14.