A primer for the March 19 primary in Peoria

On March 19, Peoria County voters will nominate candidates for either the Republican or Democratic Party for U.S. president. Other contests include races for state representatives and state senators, judges and County positions. Early voting is now underway and runs through Election Day.

There also are referendum questions on the ballot: on levying a special tax in West Peoria for an ambulance service, and, separately, on increasing West Peoria’s maximum tax rate.

Voters can also still apply to vote by mail or online at https://votebymail.peoriacounty.gov/searchWizard.aspx

Meanwhile, the Peoria Election Commission has enough poll workers, according to Executive Director Elizabeth Gannon. Election judges can make up to $200 for working Election Day, and $14/hour minimum wage if they work with Early Voting or mail-ballot verification.

“We’re not fully staffed, but we’re OK for the Primary,” Gannon told the Community Word.

Peoria County uses between 470 and 500 election judges.

Peoria County voters will elect a candidate for either the Republican or Democratic Party for:

- U.S. president nominee

- Delegates and alternate delegates to National Nominating Conventions

- U.S. representative

- Illinois state senator

- Illinois state representative

- Illinois supreme court judge

- Illinois appellate court judges

- Circuit court judge

- State's attorney

- Circuit Clerk

- Coroner

- Nine County Board seats (even-numbered districts)

- A nonpartisan Peoria Public School seat from District 3

- Precinct committee positions

Some positions have no candidate or no opponents.

In the primary election, voters must choose a Republican, Democratic or Non-partisan ballot. Non-partisan means NO party. Therefore, you will only be voting on contests with no party affiliation, such as the District 150 school board race or referendums. You can bring notes into the voting booth; if you have children with you, they may be brought into the booth, too. Voters who are physically impaired or cannot read or write, a friend, relative, election judge or another voter is permitted to help complete ballots. Voters are prohibited from posting a photo of a finished ballot online. (For voting by mail, see below.)

Peoria County this election has implemented a “voting center” standard for Election Day, so any registered voters can vote at any of Peoria County’s voting locations that day. For early voting, see all 12 early-voting satellite locations in Peoria County and the hours and dates, at https://www.peoriaelections.gov/175/Early-Voting-Locations

You can register to vote online or at a polling place. The last day to register online is March 3. Through March 18, people may register to vote in person at the Election Commission or any early-voting site with two forms of identification (such as driver’s license, passport, lease, etc.). On Election Day, you may still register at the Election Commission and must vote at the time of registration.

To see if you are registered to vote in Illinois, go to- https://ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx

 

Vote-by-mail available for all registered voters

Starting in 2009, an excuse was no longer necessary to be able to vote by mail, and in 2016, Illinois stopped using the term “absentee ballot.” “Absentee” is now the same as “Vote-by-Mail.”

Voting by mail is available for all registered voters.

In 2022, the option of being put on a permanent vote-by-mail list became available. Voters can sign a permanent application that is on file in the election commission.

You may request a ballot from the election commission through March 14. No ballot will be mailed out after that date.

Once election staff or a bipartisan team of election judges receive your ballot, they will mark you in the poll books as having voted. Two judges, one Democrat and one Republican, will verify that the ballot envelope is sealed and confirm that the signature on the envelope matches the signature in the records. Once the ballot has been verified, it will be removed from the envelope and added to other verified Vote by Mail ballots. These ballots will then be run through a tabulator.

A bipartisan team must be present at all points in the processing.

After tabulation, ballots will be placed in a secure location in case they’re needed for future verification. The tabulators will not be closed and the vote totals/results will not be calculated until after the polls close on Election Day and the 14-day window following the election is complete so any ballots postmarked on Election Day can still be counted.

For Vote by Mail or other questions, go online to https://www.peoriaelections.gov/ or phone (309) 324-2300.