Sangamon County 'exceeding expectations' in early voting. Here's why

A week into early in-person voting and vote by mail, Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said he believed the public was becoming more confident and more secure in the systems.

The county was "exceeding participation expectations in both," Gray said.

The clerk's office in the Sangamon County Building, 200 S. Ninth St., Room 101, will be open extended hours for in-person voting through June 27 ahead of the June 28 primary.

Those extended hours include Memorial Day when the office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

U.S. Congressional seats and state of Illinois officeholders are up for election, along with General Assembly members and Sangamon County Board members, among others.

The general election is Nov. 8.

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As of noon Wednesday, 258 early ballots had been cast, he said. At the same mark in the 2020 presidential primary, 217 ballots had been cast. In 2018, the last gubernatorial election, 195 ballots had been marked.

"That's a nice trend to see," Gray said.

So far, 1,254 requests for ballots by mail have been received by the clerk's office. In 2020, 848 ballots had been requested and in 2018, there were 546.

"The voting public is becoming much more accustomed to utilization of the pre-election day vote services such as early voting and vote by mail and becoming more confident and secure in it," Gray said. "Obviously, our electoral system is stronger when more participate and that's certainly coming to fruition so far early in this primary."

Illinois, Gray added, is in new territory regarding the timing of the primary, however.

Illinois primaries typically take place on the third Tuesday of March. This year, the election was moved back a few months to accommodate the decennial redistricting process, when lawmakers redraw legislative and judicial districts.

Census data didn't become available to the map-drawers until September.

"Offering an opportunity (to vote) in a better environmental climate is going to garner better participation," Gray said. "We've always wondered that to be case. If trends hold, it's making a pretty good argument for the future. Time will tell to see if it holds."

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When can I vote in-person?

The clerk's office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through June 17.

The office is open on June 4, June 11 and June 18 from 9 a.m. to noon and June 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office is open June 19 and June 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Juneteenth Independence Day (June 20), the office is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The office has extended hours from June 21 through June 24 and June 27 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

When will I get my mailed ballot?

Vote by mail applications can be found at the clerk's website.

Applications are processed within a 24-hour period, Gray said.

The deadline for requesting a ballot by mail is 5 p.m. June 23.

A ballot can be returned by U.S. postal service, by using one of the secure ballot drop boxes on the south end of the County Building at Ninth and Monroe streets or at the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center, 2201 S. Dirksen Parkway. It can be hand delivered to the clerk's office.

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What do I need to bring to vote?

Voters do not need to provide identification but must be registered to vote in Sangamon County.

If a person isn't a registered voter and wants to cast a ballot, that person needs two forms of identification, including one with a current address.

Vote at UIS

Voting will take place at the University of Illinois Springfield Student Union Building, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 22 through June 24.

The location is only for residents in Capital precincts 14, 37, 92, 93 and 99 and Woodside precinct 02.

Have more questions?

For further information, call (217) 753-8683 or visit the clerk's website at www. sangamoncountyclerk.com/elections.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Early voting is off and running in Sangamon County, Illinois primary