AM I REGISTERED TO VOTE?

We can help you find out if you are registered! Click on the icons below to find out if you are registered and, if not, register online! 

To be eligible to vote: 

• You must be a United States Citizen. 
• You must be 17 years old on or before the date of the Primary Election and turn 18 on or before the date of the General or Consolidated Election. 
• You must live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day. 
• You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction. 
• You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else. 

ELECTION GLOSSARY

• Absentee Ballot

  Absentee Ballot: A ballot filed by a voter who cannot be present at their polling place on Election Day. Absentee ballots are often filed by people who are:

  • Living abroad
  • Serving in the military
  • Traveling
  • Attending school in a different state than their legal state of residence

• Ballot

  Ballot: A list of candidates and proposed laws that voters mark to make choices. A ballot may be made of paper and marked with a pen or hole punch. Or it may be electronic and voters mark their choices with the push of a button or by touch screen.

• Campaign Finance Disclosure

  Campaign Finance Disclosure: A report on how a candidate has spent the money raised for their campaign and where that money came from.

• Caucus

  Caucus: A meeting held by members of a party to decide an issue. Most often, caucuses are statewide meetings held in presidential election years. Members of a party choose a candidate to support or they elect members to a state nominating committee.

• Constituent

  Constituent: A person who lives, works, or pays taxes in an area that a politician represents

• Delegate

  Delegate: Someone chosen to represent their town or state at a national political convention. A pledged delegate must support the candidate chosen by the voters they represent. An unpledged delegate is not bound to support a specific candidate.

• District

  District: A geographical area that an elected official serves or represents

• Electioneering

  Electioneering: The act of campaigning to influence the result of an election in favor of a particular candidate or party. Electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling location on Election Day. 

• Election Fraud

  Election Fraud: Criminal activity that impacts the integrity of an election. Election fraud can include:

  • Bribery
  • Tampering with ballots
  • Other illegal ways to interfere with the result of an election

• Election Judge

  Election Judge: A person appointed to:

  • Monitor the voting process at a polling place
  • Make sure voters follow state requirements
  • Certify an election was conducted legally
  • Give the official vote count

• Electoral College

  Electoral College: The process Americans use to elect the president and vice president. The number of electors a state receives is equal to that state’s number of U.S. senators and representatives.

  Those electors then gather to cast the state’s votes in the Electoral College. They vote for the candidate who won in their state during a presidential election.

• General Election

  General Election: A final election for a political office with a limited list of candidates. The candidates in the general election are the people who won their party’s primary election. General elections happen at a local, state, and national level.

• Impeachment

  Impeachment: The process to remove a high-level government official such as a:

  • President
  • Vice president
  • Federal judge
  • Representative
  • Senator

  On the federal level, the House of Representatives investigates and brings impeachment charges. The Senate holds the impeachment trial. Some states and cities use impeachment to remove governors, mayors, or other elected officials. Other states allow officials to be removed through a recall election instead of impeachment. (see Recall Election)

• Incumbent

  Incumbent: The person currently in a particular job or political office

• Midterm Elections

  Midterm Elections: The federal election for members of Congress held between presidential elections

• Political Action Committee (PAC)

  Political Action Committee (PAC): A group organized to raise money or support for a politician or cause

• Popular Vote

  Popular Vote: The votes cast during an election for a candidate or about an issue. Whichever candidate or decision about an issue gets the most votes has won the popular vote (U.S. president and vice president are determined by an Electoral College vote).

• Precinct

  Precinct: Each city, county, or geographic area is divided by address into precincts to assign polling places and gather votes. A precinct can sometimes be called an election district or voting district.

• Primary Election

  Primary Election: An election held to choose which of a party’s candidates will be nominated for the general election. In an open primary, all voters can vote for any candidate they prefer, regardless of the voter’s or candidate’s party affiliation. In a closed primary, voters can only vote for a candidate from the party that the voter belongs to.

• Provisional Ballot

  Provisional Ballot: Type of ballot used to collect a vote when there are questions about the voter’s identity or ability to vote at that precinct. A provisional ballot is counted when the voter’s information is confirmed.

• Recall Election

  Recall Election: An election for voters to choose whether to remove an elected official from office before the end of the official’s term. A recall election can generally take place if enough voters sign a petition asking for one. Rules on the number of voters needed and the officials who can be recalled are different from state to state. Federal officials cannot be recalled, only impeached (see Impeachment.) These officials include:

  • President
  • Vice president
  • Representatives
  • Senators
  • Federal judges

• Referendum

  Referendum: A proposed new law or a proposal to repeal an existing law, passed to the voters to approve or reject. Some states require the following to be approved by a referendum before they can be adopted:

  • Spending bills
  • Bond issues
  • Constitutional amendments

• Special Election

  Special Election: An election to fill a vacant position if an officeholder dies, resigns, or is impeached. It is not part of the regular election schedule.

• Super Tuesday

  Super Tuesday: The day when the most states and territories hold presidential primary elections or caucuses. The candidates who win on Super Tuesday are more likely to win their party’s nomination.

• Term Limit

  Term Limit: The total amount of terms that an officeholder is allowed to serve in a particular position. Laws set term limits for elected offices. No one can serve more than two terms as president of the United States. There are no laws about term limits for U.S. representatives or senators. Term limits for governors and other elected officials are different in each state and locality.

• Ticket

  Ticket: The group of candidates that a party is running in an election

• Town Hall Meeting or Debate

  Town Hall Meeting or Debate: A setting in which candidates for office answer questions from voters. In a town hall-style debate, a moderator helps ensure candidates follow the rules they agreed to.

• Voter Intimidation or Voter Suppression

  Voter Intimidation or Voter Suppression: An attempt to prevent eligible people from voting or forcing them to vote a certain way. The attempt may be made by an official, individual, or group. Some voter intimidation tactics include:

  • Using verbal or physical threats
  • Threatening with weapons or jail time
  • Tests involving literacy, property ownership, or citizenship
  • Poll taxes
  • Other types of intimidation to prevent an eligible person from voting freely

• Voter Fraud or Election Fraud

  Voter Fraud or Election Fraud: Interfering with the results of an election by doing illegal things that affect the vote’s outcome. Types of voter fraud include:

  • Bribery
  • Illegal voter registration
  • Tampering with voting machines or ballot boxes
  • Voter impersonation
  • Vote buying
  • False advertising about the election date or how to vote

QUICK RESOURCE LINKS

Voter Registration Look-up

Register to Vote

Find Your Polling Place

Macon County Clerk’s Office

Illinois State Board of Elections

Macon County Vote By Mail Application

HOW DO I VOTE?

There are many options to vote in Illinois and Macon County. In Illinois, you do not need an excuse to vote early or to receive a mail-in ballot. You can also visit your polling location on Election day to cast your vote.  We will explain each option so that you can choose what is best for you.  

Option 1 – Early Voting

The early voting period in Illinois runs from Thursday, September 24, 2020 to Monday, November 2, 2020. To vote early, you must visit the County Clerks Office at 141 S. Main St. Suite 119. If you’ve voted in Illinois before or provided ID at the time of your registration, you don’t need to show ID to vote. If you have requested a mail-in ballot prior to voting early, you must present your mail-in ballot.

Early Voting Location

Option 2 – Mail-In Voting

Anyone can request a mail-in ballot.  If you choose to vote by mail, it is best to request your ballot as soon as possible and return it as soon as possible.  When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it. Mail-in ballots will begin being mailed on September 24th. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 29th. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight on election day. 

Option 3 – Voting In Person

Voting in person takes place on Election Day on November 3rd.  You will need to vote at your designated polling location. If you’ve voted in Illinois before or provided ID at the time of your registration, you don’t need to show ID to vote. You will need to verify your signature with the Election judges. Polls open at 6am on November 3rd at close at 7pm CST.  If you requested a mail-in ballot but did not return it, you must present your mail-in ballot at your polling location.

Option for Absentee Voting and Active Military and US Families Living Overseas

Any registered Illinois voter may apply for an absentee ballot. This is a great option if you are an active duty member absent from your voting residence, an eligible spouse or family member of an active duty member, or a U.S. citizen residing outside the country