Vote by Mail - February 23, 2021 Primary

Note: Quoted text on this page is taken from the County Clerk's website. The County Clerk is the official authority for this election. If you have any questions about your ballot, contact the Clerk’s Office at elections@co.champaign.il.us or 217-384-3724.

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What Is Vote by Mail? 

This form of voting allows you to request and receive a ballot that you can fill out in the comfort of your own home. In Illinois, you do not need a reason to vote by mail;  it's available to all registered voters.  Many voters are choosing vote by mail due to Covid-19, particularly voters in high-risk categories.  Please note that vote by mail used to be called absentee voting but that term is no longer used in Illinois.  

Special Note for Urbana and City of Champaign Voters
According to Illinois law, a voter must request a mail ballot for each election. If you want to vote by mail for the February 23 primary AND for the April 6 municipal election, you need to request a mail ballot for each election.  To make it easy, you can request a mail ballot for each election, or for only one, at My Voting Information on the County Clerk’s website.

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How to Vote by Mail? 

1. Request Your Ballot

In order to receive a mail-in ballot, you must request one from the Champaign County Clerk’s Office through their secure voter portal.  You can request a mail-in ballot online or by paper. 

• Request a mail ballot online from the County Clerk's voter portal.  This is the fastest, safest method and is highly recommended by the County Clerk. There are instructions on the site, but briefly:  you'll need to enter your first and last names as they appear on your voter identification card (the one you received after you registered.) Also you'll be asked for the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, or your entire driver's license/state ID number.  If you have any difficulty, contact the County Clerk's Elections Division at elections@co.champaign.il.us or 217-384-3724.
  Once you have requested your ballot online, you will receive a confirmation email.  

• Use a paper mail ballot request form. If you prefer to fill out a paper request form, you can do so. How do you get such a form? You may already have received one (or more) through the mail. They may have come from the County Clerk or from a third party.  If you received more than one, fill out one of them, preferably the one from the County Clerk and throw out the rest. If more than one request accidentally gets to the County Clerk's office, staff will detect and make sure only one request is honored. If you don't have a paper application form, you can  call the County Clerk’s office at 217-384-3724 and request a paper application be mailed to you. You can also download one from the Register to Vote page on the Clerk's website.

Be aware of the time frame for requesting your vote by mail ballot. Online is the fastest! Paper takes more time. The last day to request a mail-in ballot online is February 18, and February 22 is the lawful deadline to request a paper ballot be mailed to you. However, the County Clerk strongly encourages everyone to request their ballots as early as possible. Don't wait!

2. Receive Your Ballot

The County Clerk’s office will mail out ballots starting January 14. The sooner you request your ballot, the sooner you can receive it. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What if I receive more than one ballot by mail?  "Duplicate ballots occur in vote by mail. It’s a precaution of making sure the voter gets their ballot. There is no need for alarm. The duplicate ballot can be returned to the Clerk’s office with duplicate written across the top. There is no possibility of a voter being able to vote more than once because they received duplicate ballots. Once a ballot is returned it is immediately scanned into the system as returned. Any additional ballots for the same voter would be flagged as duplicates and not counted."
• What if I requested a ballot but never received it?  "Give us a call and we can verify your address and status of your request. You can reach us at 217-384-3724. *If the election is less than 48 hours away, we strongly suggest you simply vote in-person at your regular precinct or any of the 12 universal sites  . . . "
• I don't think the ballot I received is correct. Now what?
  "Give us a call and we can verify your address and ballot style. You can reach us at 217-384-3724."

3. Fill Out Your Ballot

From the County Clerk vote by mail information page: 

• "Read the ballot carefully, noting how many candidates you may vote for per race and check the back of your ballot for additional races. We encourage you to vote the whole ballot. "
• "Fill in the oval next to the candidate(s) of your choice completely with black ink."

• "If you make a mistake on your ballot, mark the spoiled box on the back of the return envelope and send the ballot back to the Clerk’s office. If we have time to get it to you in the mail, we’ll send you a new ballot.  If Election Day is too close we strongly encourage you to take the spoiled ballot to your home polling location or one of the 12 universal polling locations, surrender it, and vote in person."

• "Once your ballot is complete, place it in the return envelop, sign the ballot certification, and seal."
• "If you are having your ballot hand delivered by someone other than yourself, you and the person delivering the ballot must complete the Affidavit of Delivery on the outside of the return envelope."​

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I get help from a friend or family member in completing my vote-by-mail ballot? "Yes, you can. Just complete the 'Did You Get Help?' section on the return envelope."​

4. Return Your Ballot

• "After you have completed your ballot, refold it and insert it into the return envelope addressed to the Clerk’s office. Make sure you sign the envelope! If you forget, the Clerk’s office will not be able to cast your ballot until you provide a valid signature."

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There are two ways to return your ballot.  

• You can drop it in any post office mailbox – postage is paid!  
• You can drop if off in person at the County Clerk's office from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday.  This is the only place you can hand-deliver your ballot.  You cannot return your mail ballot to a polling place to cast your vote. 

"All vote by mail ballots come with tracking, meaning you will know when your ballot is en route to you and when it has been received by the Clerk's office . . . Anticipate at least 48 hours before the status of your ballot is updated in the voter portal."

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Vote by Mail Security

What happens after I return my ballot?

Secure Pick Up

Trained staff members  or volunteers will pick up ballots from the post office. 

Delivery

Ballots are returned to the County Clerk’s office. The barcode on the envelope is then scanned, which allows you to track your ballot’s progress at the Champaign County Clerk’s website. You will be able to see when the County Clerk receives your ballot request, when your ballot is put into the mail to you, and when the County Clerk receives your completed ballot. 

Evaluation

Trained volunteers or staff will work together to determine if the ballot is valid.

Tabulating

Valid ballots are inserted into the tabulator. Votes are not totaled until after the polls close at 7:00 pm on February 23.  

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Questions About Security

•  Is vote-by-mail safe?  "Vote by mail has been around since the Civil War and is a safe and reliable way to vote. Vote by mail used to be called “Absentee” but now any eligible voter can vote by mail/vote at home. States all across the U.S. are almost entirely vote by mail because of the cost savings, security, and ease of voting. There are numerous checks and balances in place throughout the entire vote by mail process to ensure complete transparency, integrity and accuracy . . . Vote by mail uses the same machines for ballot printing, tabulation, voter verification and checking in as in-person voting and all machines are developed and governed by strict federal rules."
  
  
• How will I know if my ballot is counted? Ballots are checked in, verified, and then cast into a tabulator used only for mail ballots. This ensures everything is done according to statue and accurately. If you log into My Voter Information, it will tell you when your ballot has been received by the Clerk's Office. If there is anything that would prevent your ballot from being cast, the Clerk’s office would contact you immediately to rectify the issue.
  
  
• What if my ballot is rejected?  "If there is anything that would prevent your ballot from being cast, the Clerk’s office would contact you immediately to rectify the issue and you would have 14 days from election day to resolve the issue."
  
  
• What if I requested and received a vote-by-mail ballot but changed my mind? What if I now want to vote in person? You can do that. Take your vote by mail ballot with you to your polling place, whether you have filled it out or not. Surrender it to the Election Judge, and they will issue you a new ballot. However, we do encourage you to use your vote by mail ballot. It is safer for everyone. If you're not comfortable mailing it back, you can bring your ballot in person to the County Clerk's office. 

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For More Information

Vote by Mail Information on the Champaign County Clerk's Office