Start of early voting in McHenry County pushed back for local election

The start of early voting in the April 1 election in McHenry County has been pushed back to March 17. It had been scheduled to start March 7.

McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio said in a county news release that early voting was moved back because of the ballot-counting process for the Feb. 25 primary.

The last day to count those primary ballots is March 11, and the results have to be finalized before consolidated election voting can begin, according to the release.

Those who wish to vote early in the April election can find early-voting information here: bit.ly/3QcyNcU.

Those voting on Election Day, April 1, can cast their ballots at either their home polling place or the universal polling place, the Election Center, 410 S. Eastwood Drive in Woodstock, according to the release.

To find your home polling place, as well as a sample ballot, you can go to the clerk’s website and enter your address here: mchenry-il.connect4.clarityelections.com/sample-ballot-locator/#Search. People should only plug in their house number and street name, according to the clerk’s website.

Republican primaries are being held this year for township offices in Grafton, Algonquin and Nunda townships. Those who wish to vote early in the primary can find early voting information here: mchenrycountyil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/118273/638719381547830000.

Those who want to vote by mail can do so; according to the clerk’s website, voters should give the office two business days to process the request and give the postal service five business days to mail your ballot.

Voters can find a permanent vote-by-mail application or applications for the February and April elections here: mchenrycountyil.gov/departments/county-clerk/elections/vote-by-mail.

Ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m. Feb. 25 to count in the primary and must be in the clerk’s office no later than two weeks after the election. Voters also can bring their mail-in ballots to their polling place and trade it in for an in-person ballot, or completed mail-in ballots and can submitted using dropboxes at some of the early-voting locations or at the county building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Consolidated local elections tend to have lower turnouts than presidential or other general elections. In McHenry County, 13.5% of voters cast a ballot in the 2023 consolidated election, while less than 10% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2021 consolidated election. In the 2021 primary – which also only featured Republican races in Algonquin, Grafton and Nunda townships – fewer than 3,500 people voted.

“Voters will still have ample time to cast their ballots if they wish to do so early. We encourage all eligible voters to vote in this important election, which decides the leadership of their units of local government,” Tirio said in the release.