Absentee voting cast into spotlight

DIXON – If you’re not going to be close to your polling place for the March 20 primary, you have more than a month to cast your ballot.

Absentee voting began Thursday in Illinois.

While registered voters don’t actually have to have a reason to vote absentee, there are some rules they need to follow.

Absentee voters first must sign an application. In Lee County, voters can call the Election Department and request an application be mailed to them. Or they can visit the county’s website and print out an application and mail it in.

Signed applications must be received prior to ballots being mailed out.

The last day a ballot can be mailed is March 15. Absentee voting can be done in person until the Monday before the election, March 19.

Absentee ballots must be received by mail on midnight before the election to be valid to be counted.

The office will be open the Saturday prior to the election, on March 17, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Absentee voting also can be done in person.

Absentee voting should not be confused with early voting, which begins Feb. 27 and continues through March 15.

Early voters will be asked for a photo identification, such as a driver’s license, when they come in. An application can be filled out that day.

No votes are tallied until Election Day.

Nearly 9 percent of Lee County voters (732 out of 8,262) in the 2008 general election voted either absentee or early, or during the grace period, according to the county clerk’s office.

In the 2010 general election, that percentage increased to 11.6 – 526 ballots out of 4,543 cast.

To vote

Lee County

All in-person absentee voting is done in the Election Department, on the first floor of the Old Lee County Courthouse, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, and also from 9 a.m. to noon March 17. Call 815-288-3309 for more information. Sample ballots can be viewed online at countyoflee.org/county_clerk/election.html.

Ogle County

The Ogle County Courthouse is located at 105 S. 5th St. in Oregon and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. In-person absentee voting for the Flagg and Dement precincts only will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 7-9 and 9 a.m. to noon March 10 at the Flagg Township Building, 303 W. Route 38 in Rochelle. For more information, visit oglecountyclerk.org.