Early voting to begin at 11 more in-person sites in McHenry County starting Monday

Eleven more in-person early voting locations will open in McHenry County starting Monday, as voting for the Nov. 3 general election continues.

The sites opening Monday are in addition to the County Administrative Building, which has been open for early voting since Sept. 24. Voters can visit any of the early voting sites regardless of where they live in the county.

Four of these locations also will have indoor drop boxes, bringing to five the number of places where people can drop off their completed vote-by-mail ballots.

“It has never been easier for a McHenry County voter to make their voice heard on Election Day,” County Clerk Joe Tirio said in a news release. “Voters who want to avoid the lines at their polling place Nov. 3 can visit any of a dozen locations before then and cast their ballot when it’s most convenient for them. Or they can drop them off in a secure drop box, or simply pop their ballots in the mail and be able to track them.

A complete list of early voting locations, and their dates and hours of operation, can be found here or on the County Clerk's website. Early voting will be available until 7 p.m. the day before the election.

In an effort to keep poll workers and voters safe from COVID-19, early voting stations are regularly sanitized, hand sanitizer is readily available, and physical distancing measures are in place, according to a news release.

As of the end of the day on Oct. 13, 4,849 McHenry County residents had used early in-person voting options, according to county numbers. Another 16,862 mail-in ballots had also been received as of that date.

Four years ago, just over 40,000 McHenry County residents total cast their ballots in the presidential race early and another 5,432 did so using mail-in or provisional ballots, according to historical election data.

McHenry County residents, for the first time, can track their mail-in ballots online at mchenryvbm.ballottrax.net/voter/ by entering their name, date of birth and ZIP code.

Voters who are interested in voting my mail and did not receive an application in the mail can request one by calling 815-334-4242 or by going to the County Clerk’s website.

People who vote by mail should allow at least seven days for their completed ballots to be delivered to the County Clerk’s Office. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted.

Mail-in ballots can be dropped off at a 24-hour, outdoor drive-up drop box just outside the front entrance of the County Administrative Building. The four new drop boxes will be available only during voting hours.