St. Charles Voter Guide: 2020 General Election
ST. CHARLES, IL — Early and mail-in voting are shattering records across the country, including in Illinois.
More than 95,000 mail ballots have been sent out to voters in Kane County, nearly 10 times as many as had been requested by this point in the previous presidential election. More than 60,000 of those mail-in ballots were returned by Oct. 23, nearly 27 times as had been returned by this point in the 2016 election, according to Illinois election statistics.
Fewer than 2,300 people had cast mail-in ballots and only 4,668 people had voted early as of Oct. 27, 2016. At that point in the presidential election four years ago, 10,719 Kane County voters had requested mail ballots, compared to 95,529 as of Friday.
Seven facilities in Kane County are serving as permanent locations for early voting and grace-period voting through Nov. 2. There will also be eight alternative voting locations and several mobile voting locations.
Where To Vote Early In Kane County: Map
Whether you plan to vote by mail or in person, here's everything you need to know about casting your ballot as a St. Charles resident.
Voter Registration
Not sure if you're already registered to vote? You can find out here. If you are not already registered, you may do so in person at early voting locations.
Grace-period registration and voting extends the registration period by allowing voters to register and vote up until Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the presidential election. Voters may register to vote during the grace period at any Kane County early voting location, but must cast their vote immediately upon registration.
Do you have questions about what you will need to register to vote? Check out this Patch.com article to make sure you are all set: Voter Registration 2020 In Illinois: 5 Things To Know.
If you're voting by mail
Voting by mail is available to all Illinois voters before Election Day. Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot through the mail or in person.
Everyone who has voted in any election since November 2018, and who has registered to vote or has updated their voter registration since March 18, 2018, was sent an application to request a vote-by-mail ballot.
The first day to file an application to vote by mail was June 16. The last day is Oct. 29.
What to do with your mail-in ballot
Ballots will come with a return envelope and can be returned by mail. Those who have concerns about their ballots being shipped via the U.S. Postal Service can also drop off completed ballots at several drop boxes in Kane County.
The drop boxes are located at the Kane County Clerk's Office in Geneva, the clerk's Aurora Satellite Office and Elgin City Hall.
Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3, or they will not be counted. If a ballot envelope is placed in a mail drop box on or near Election Day, that envelope may be postmarked late and may not be eligible to be counted.
Early Voting
There are seven permanent early voting locations in Kane County, eight alternative locations, and several mobile voting locations throughout the county.
A list of all early voting locations is available on the Kane County Clerk's website or check out our map here for voting locations and times.
Early voting sites will be open during the following hours:
8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Oct 26 to Oct. 30 and Nov. 2
Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 2: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in person: Safety Precautions Amid COVID-19
Where to vote: Find your polling place here (you can also find this and a sample ballot on your county clerk's website).
If you've voted in Illinois before, you don't need to provide ID to vote.
You may need an ID if:
You registered to vote by mail and did not provide ID
An election judge challenges your right to vote.
If you are also registering to vote or changing your registration address on the day that you vote
If you are already in line to vote when the polls close, you still have the right to cast your ballot
Staying safe: Aside from wearing a mask and staying 6 feet away from other voters, you can also minimize risk by voting early to avoid long lines to vote.
You Can Vote Safely In Person Despite Coronavirus. Here's How »
Who's On My Ballot?
Depending on where you live in Kane County, not every ballot will be the same. You can view your sample ballot by entering your address and information on the county clerk's website.
In addition to voting in presidential, congressional, senatorial and some state and local races, Illinois voters are being asked to vote on the Graduated Income Tax Amendment.
A "yes" vote supports repealing the state's constitutional requirement that the state personal income tax be a flat rate and instead allow the state to enact legislation for a graduated income tax.
A "no" vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thus continuing to require that the state personal income tax be a flat rate and prohibit a graduated income tax.
Illinois Voters Asked To Decide 'Fair Tax': What You Need To Know »
Presidential race: While the ballot contains candidates from the Green Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, American Solidarity Party and Libertarian Party, the major party candidates are Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence versus Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. Check out White House Patch for the latest coverage on the election.
And, while she might not be leading in the polls, this year's Libertarian candidate, Jo Jorgensen, is a native of Chicago's north suburbs. You can read more about her here: Lake Co. Native Is Libertarian Party's Presidential Pick.
U.S. Senate: Incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin faces off against Republican Mark Curran, Green Party candidate David F. Black, Libertarian Danny Malouf and Willie Wilson, of the Willie Wilson Party.
Illinois Elections: More Races to Watch, Election-Related Updates As We Near Election Day. »
Voters are permitted to bring newspaper endorsements, printouts, sample ballots and smartphones to view judicial evaluations into the voting booth.
Check back with St. Charles Patch for more updates as the election nears and subscribe to our free newsletters for the latest alerts
Patch staff contributed
This article originally appeared on the St. Charles Patch
