Thursday, September 23, 2010

Absentee Voting Information

Thursday, September 23
The first day voters may apply for absentee ballot for the November 2 General Election.

Who is qualified to vote an Absentee Ballot:
  • All persons who are registered voters in McHenry County are eligible to cast an absentee ballot.
  • Persons, who have registered to vote by mail, must provide identification or vote in person the first time they cast a ballot.
In addition, the following unregistered voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot;
  • Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine and the spouses and dependents whether serving in the United States or abroad
  • U.S. citizens who maintained a residence in McHenry County immediately prior to their temporary departure from the U.S.
  • U.S. citizens and their spouses or dependents, overseas by virtue of employment
How to Obtain an Absentee Ballot
By Mail
You may request an application for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you. To request an application you may call the County Clerk’s office at 815‐334‐4242 or email The County Clerk’s office at countyclerk@co.mchenry.il.us

The Clerk’s office will need the voter’s names, residence address and date of birth for verification purposes. A phone number will be helpful, if the Clerk’s office needs to contact you for additional information.
The Clerk’s office will also need to know the address that you want the application mailed to.

Once you receive your application for an absentee ballot, you will need to complete the application, sign it and return said application to the County Clerk’s office, for your absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots may not be mailed more than 40 days nor less than 5 days prior to an election.

As a safeguard to absentee voting the following provisions are in effect:
“A candidate whose name is on the ballot is prohibited from assisting a physically disabled absentee voter unless the candidate is the spouse, parent, brother or sister of the voter,” Schultz said.
“Also, no one other than the absentee voter, shall deposit the absentee ballot in the mail,” she added.
An absentee ballot may be delivered “in person” to THE COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE, by either the voter or by a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of the voter. If the ballot is delivered by any of the aforesaid persons, written authorization from the voter must also be provided. A ballot may also be delivered to the Clerk’s office by an authorized delivery service.

The returned ballot will need to be postmarked prior to Election Day and received by the Clerk’s office within 14 days after the date of the election, to be counted.

A voter, who was issued an absentee ballot, by mail, may surrender his absentee ballot on Election Day, at the polling site and vote in person.


In Person Voting 
You may vote an absentee ballot, in person, at the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Rd, Woodstock, or at one of our other offsite voting locations.

In person, absentee balloting will be conducted not more than 40 days nor less than one day prior to the election.

Early voting is also offered to any McHenry County registered voter, commencing 22 days prior to an election and ending 5 days prior to the election. For further information contact the County Clerk’s office at 815‐334‐4242 or go to

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