Many registered voters are admitted to a health care facility on Election Day and are uncertain as to the proper procedures to follow in order to vote. This page outlines the correct voting procedures to follow for those voters who are admitted to one of these facilities.

If admitted to a health care facility (hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center) NOT MORE than 14 days before the election:

1Obtain an “Application for Ballot for Qualified Voter Admitted to Hospital, Nursing Home or Rehabilitation Center.” The application can be obtained from the Sangamon County Clerk's office.

2You must complete the application and your physician must complete and sign the “Certificate of Attending Physician” section of the application.

3After the form is completed and signed by you and your physician, a registered voter from your precinct or your relative can then hand deliver the application to the election authority’s office.

4After signing an affidavit, the precinct voter or your relative may personally hand deliver the absentee ballot to you in the health care facility.

5When you receive the ballot, vote the ballot in secret and complete the certification on the absentee ballot return envelope.

6After depositing your voted ballot in the return envelope and securely sealing the envelope, give the envelope to the precinct voter or to your relative who must deliver it to the Sangamon County Clerk's office before 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Remember that only those persons who are admitted to a health care facility NOT MORE than 14 days before an election or, if released, are expected to be homebound on the day of the election and unable to travel to the polling place, would be entitled to personal delivery of an absentee ballot.

If you were admitted to a health care facility more than 14 days before the election, you may vote by regular absentee ballot. For more information on absentee voting please click here. For information on nursing home voting please contact the Sangamon County Clerk’s office at (217) 753-6740.

VOTER ASSISTANCE

Assistance is the actual casting of votes for a voter in accordance with the voter’s wishes. Assistance can be given by a friend or relative, but cannot be given by an officer or agent of the voter’s employer or the voter’s union. A candidate whose name appears on the ballot is also prohibited from assisting a physically incapacitated absentee voter unless the candidate is the spouse, parent, child, brother, or sister of the incapacitated absentee voter. This would prohibit precinct committeemen from giving assistance in a primary election. If assistance is given, the name and address of the person giving assistance must be provided on the certification envelope. For additional information about health care facility voting contact the Sangamon County Clerk’s office at (217) 753-6740.