Although the 2020 presidential election will look different from years past due to COVID-19 it will be somewhat similar to the March primary.
Election judges will wear personal protective equipment, there will be early voting sites, and you can still vote in person.
Vote By Mail
But the most notable difference this time around will be the amount of mail-in ballots county clerk offices will have to count, like the ones in Will County and DuPage County.
“In the 2016 presidential election we sent out about 30,000 vote by mail ballots and received back 26,000,” said Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry. “And we’re already at almost 90,000 applications, which we will have to mail those ballots out starting September 24.”
Staley Ferry said Will County could see up to 125,000 mail-in applications.
DuPage County Clerk, Jean Kaczmarek, said she wouldn’t be surprised if the county had over 200,000 vote by mail applicants.
“One thing I just want to emphasize is that if you intend to vote by mail pleas apply now, don’t wait,” said Kaczmarek.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 29.
Gearing Up
Both counties have taken steps to gear up for the highest ever amount of vote by mail ballots. They acquired more printers to print out the ballots, created teams specializing in vote by mail ballots, will have drop boxes for them at locations around the counties, and are tracking ballots so voters can know the path of their ballot once it’s mailed out.
“It puts people at ease,” said Kaczmarek. “And they know that their ballot arrived to us and it was accepted by our election judges.”
Election Judges
Speaking of which, both counties are incentivizing election judges with a pay increase. Will County is requesting their judges be paid $250 and DuPage County will pay Election Day judges $260. DuPage election judges working early voting get an hourly bump as well.
Illinois residents can register online to vote until October 18, and can register to vote in person on Election Day on November 3.
To register to vote, request a vote by mail application, or to see where a drop box is located you could visit your county clerk’s website.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
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