From Jean Hovde, UUCUC Member
The next Presidential general election is November 3, 2020. It is uncertain if residents of Illinois will be able to vote in person, because of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.
Scientists are predicting the possibility of a second wave of this virus in the fall. Voting by mail is easy and safer during a pandemic. To vote by mail, all you need is access to a phone or the Internet. Because of human error, you should always verify that you are registered to vote, even if you have voted all your life.
To vote in the general election on November 3, 2020, you must register to vote. To register to vote, you must request an application form to vote by mail. Call the Champaign County Clerk’s Office at 217-384-3724 or 217-384-3720. You can also send email to elections@co.champaign.il.gov.
If you have access to the Internet, you can also google: Champaign County Clerk’s office. Here are several additional tips:
- Always verify that you are registered to vote BEFORE you vote.
- You must be registered to vote in the United States before you can vote.
- Mark your calendar to remember that August 5, 2020 is the first day you can request an application to register to vote at the Champaign County Clerks office. Go to their website for more information.
- Once you mail in your ballot, you can track your ballot by calling: 217-384-3720. This number will be active when it is time to mail in your ballot.
- October 29, 2020 is the last day to mail in your ballot.
The following are several important websites:
- https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote Here you can find an online application to register to vote. This form must be printed out and mailed in by no later than October 29, 2020 for the November 3 2020 election.
- Here is the national website to confirm that you are registered to vote: https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration
- Go to the Illinois State Board of Elections website to read all about election laws and to answer some basic questions: https://www.elections.il.gov