Virtual forums for candidates running in the April 6 election for Rantoul offices and the district’s two school boards are scheduled for February.  The forums, hosted by Rantoul Public Library, will be held during the evenings of February 10 and 11 and recorded via Zoom. They will be posted online by February 15. The forums will be posted on various social-media sites and platforms, including the Rantoul Reformed, Rantoul Residents for Representation and Rantoul Term Limit Facebook groups. The forums can also be viewed by those who subscribe, at no cost, Rantoul Residents for Representation’s YouTube channel.

The deadline for the public to submit questions is February 3. They can be sent via Facebook messenger to Rantoul Residents for Representation or emailed to rantoulr4r@gmail.com or sent by call or text message to 815-317-6631.

Rantoul Residents for Representation is collaborating with the League of Women Voters to hold the forums.  For more details see the News-Gazette article. 

This quote is adapted  from the County Clerk's Twitter feed: 
"Voters in the cities of Champaign and Urbana can view their sample ballot for the 2021 Primary Election. Logging into the voter info portal you can view your sample ballot, check registration, request a vote by mail ballot, and much more!"

Early Voting 
Early voting for the 2021 Primary Election is currently underway at the Brookens Admin Center-Lyle Shields meeting room (County Board room), 1776 E Washington St. Urbana, IL  61802. All Early voting location information and hours can be found at the link  https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/many-ways-vote/early-voting-information  See graphic at the end of announcement to see what races are contested in the Primary. 

Vote by Mail and Drop Boxes 
 Any registered/eligible voter can request their vote by mail application for both the 2021 Primary and General Elections. Requests can be made at the link below. https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/my-voting-information/vote-mail-ballot-request  
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Unfortunately, we do not have ballot drop boxes available this election as a method of returning your ballot. The legislation that allowed for the use of drop boxes during the Presidential Election in November only applied to that election. Despite confidence that the bill would pass the Illinois Legislature, unfortunately during the lame duck session it was never called for a vote.  

I am working closely with Representative Carol Ammons to introduce the bill this session and if it passes and is signed by the Governor, we may have drop boxes available for the Municipal Election in April of this year. 

For now, here are the two ways you can return your vote by mail ballot:
1) Mail it back to us FREE of charge. The postage is paid, and the envelope is provided. I know there were concerns with the mail system in November, however, the USPS locally was outstanding during the Presidential election. We had no problems at all with their deliveries or mailings. Election mail is prioritized and you can also track the status of your ballot on our voter portal at ChampaignCountyClerk.com 

2) Drop it off at the Clerk's Office. You can drop your ballot off at the Clerk's Office from 8:30AM-4:30PM, Monday-Friday. You need to wear a mask to enter the Brookens building but this is an option if you prefer to hand deliver your ballot. This is the only place you can hand deliver your ballot. 

Please Note: You CANNOT return your ballot to any polling location. Although it seems logical to hand your ballot to an Election Judge at a polling place, that action is illegal under current Illinois election law. If you take your ballot to a polling location the judges will have no choice but to refuse your vote by mail ballot. We look forward to having another successful, fair, free, and accessible election. Thank you again for choosing a safe and secure way of voting.  

"Yesterday, the three superintendent candidates for Unit 4 gave presentations to the community. A  recording of those presentations is available here. The district is encouraging community members to offer their impressions of each candidate by filling out a feedback form. The form will remain open through Sunday. The candidates will have final interviews with the Board on Tuesday, the 19th, then the selection will be made at a Board meeting on January 21st. "

From the County Clerk's office: 

Early voting starts today (1/14/21) for the 2021 Primary Election. Voting is taking place at Brookens Admin Center- Lyle Shields room (County Board room) 1776 E Washington St Urbana IL 61802. For more voter and election info please visit http://champaigncountyclerk.com  There's also a lot of general information on the League's Voting pages.  

The upcoming April 6 election for municipal, school distrcit and other local offices will have fewer polling places than in last fall's November 3 general election.  County Clerk Aaron Ammons has cut the number from 86 to 48.

Ammons cited cost savings and reduced exposure for judges to Covid-19.  He stressed that the reduction in the number of polling places was not a sign he is trying to suppress voting. “We went from 95 polling locations (in 2016) to 86 and we still increased the turnout by 3,343 votes, the highest turnout in the history of Champaign County,” Ammons said. “I know a lot of people talk about voter suppression when you do consolidations like this.

There will be a full complement of Early Voting sites for the February 23 Primary Election.  Early voting for the Primary starts on January 14, 2021 at the Brookens Administrative Center gymnasium, 1776 E. Washington St., Urbana. 

For more details, see the News-Gazette story. 

The following text is from the U.S. League of Women Voters. It can be found here on the national website. 

1/6/2021WASHINGTON – Today the League of Women Voters of the United States president Dr. Deborah Turner, CEO Virginia Kase, and the full board of directors issued the following statement in response to the violent demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol:   

“This is a dark day in the history of the United States of America. Today’s activity on Capitol Hill should have been a procedural exercise to finalize the 2020 election. Instead, our nation's Capitol was attacked by domestic terrorists seeking to invalidate the will of the people.   

“The actions by these terrorists have no impact on the results of the election. This violent mob was encouraged by an outgoing president who lost re-election in a free and fair election.   

“Donald Trump has emboldened and empowered violent agitators, perpetuated dangerous conspiracy theories, and dishonored the office of the President. Furthermore, the members of Congress who continuously lie to the American people about the proven legitimacy of this election are also responsible for today’s horrific events. There is blood on their hands.   
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“The League of Women Voters of the United States calls on President Donald Trump to concede the election immediately. We call on all members of Congress to respect the certification process, condemn the actions of these terrorists, and support a peaceful inauguration on January 20th.” 
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CONTACT: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | scourtney@lwv.org