General election early voting begins this week in the Sauk Valley

DIXON — Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election is set to begin this week in Illinois.

Starting Thursday, Sept. 26, early voting locations around the state will be open for business, and mail-in ballots, which voters could request starting in August, will be sent out to voters who would prefer to not vote in person.

According to the Lee County Clerk’s Office, voters who wish to submit a ballot early can do so up until Nov. 4 in the election department on the first floor of the Old Lee County Courthouse, at 112 E. Second St. in Dixon.

The courthouse is open for early voting from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of Monday, Oct. 14. It will also be open on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to noon, according to Lee County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Petersen.

For those who have requested to vote by mail, they will receive their ballots by Thursday. To be accepted, ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 4, Petersen said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Vote by mail applications will be accepted until Thursday, Oct. 31. Vote by mail is available to all registered voters and can be found on Lee County’s website or by contacting the county elections department.

Residents can register to vote at the courthouse up until Election Day.

For a presidential election, voter turnout is typically higher and polling locations usually have “steady foot traffic for early voting,” Petersen said.

As of now, the county is mailing about 2,000 ballots to Lee County residents, she said.

How to vote in person or by mail

• Residents need to be registered to vote before they can cast their ballot in person or by mail. Registration can be done in person at polling places up until Election Day on Nov. 5.
• To vote by mail, registration must be complete by Oct. 8. Residents can check their registration status online through the Illinois State Board of Elections and can register to vote at the same site through Oct. 20.
• Online and in-person voter registration requires residents to show two eligible forms of identification proving residency. A full list of accepted documents is available with early-voting information.
• Residents who already have requested a mail-in ballot can submit it at a mail ballot dropbox or via the U.S. Postal Service any time after Thursday, Sept. 26. Applications for mail-in ballots still are available, and all ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and arrive by Nov. 15 to be counted. However, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors have advised voters to mail ballots early to allow for timely delivery amid potential USPS delays.