Many registered voters in Illinois are unable to vote in person at the polling place on Election Day. This page provides general information regarding:

• Who may vote by absentee ballot?

• What are the requirements to vote absentee?

• When can application be made to vote absentee?

• Where does absent voting take place?

Who May Vote By Absentee Ballot?

• Registered voters expecting to be absent from their county of residence on Election Day;

• Registered voters appointed to be judges of election in a precinct different from where they reside;

• Registered voters unable to be present at the polls because of a physical incapacity;

• Registered voters observing a religious holiday and unable to be present at the polls because of the tenets of their religion;

• Registered voters who because of election duties for the election authority, a board of election commissioners, the State Board of Elections, the Attorney General, the State’s Attorney, or any other law enforcement agency, will be unable to be present at the polls on Election Day;

• Registered voters confined in jail pending acquittal or conviction of a crime;

• Registered voters who are considered a temporarily absent student attending an institution of higher education;

• Registered voters who are serving as sequestered jurors on a state or federal jury only;

• Registered voters who are convicted child sex offenders, whose precinct polling place is located in a school;

• Registered or non-registered members of the United States Armed Forces while on active duty, members of the Merchant Marines, and U.S. Government employees serving outside the U.S., as well as their spouses and dependents who expect to be absent from their county of residence on election day; however, children born to military members who have reached the age of 18 but have never resided in Illinois are not eligible to vote in Illinois;

• Registered and non-registered citizens of the United States, temporarily out of the country, and their spouses and dependents of voting age when residing with or accompanying them, who maintain a precinct residence in a county in this State;

• State and federal employees (and their spouses) who had a voting residence in the precinct at the time they entered employment, but who now reside elsewhere due to state or federal employment, may retain their voting rights in that precinct.

What Are The Requirements To Vote Absentee?

The voter must obtain the proper application for absentee ballot, either by mail, in person, or from the Sangamon County Clerk's office located in Room 105 of the County Building, 200 S. 9th Street, Springfield, by calling their office at (217) 753-6740. Upon receiving the application, the voter completes and returns it to the Clerk's office. It must include their name, home address, address where they want the ballot mailed, party affiliation for a primary election, and signature. Please note that only the applicant is authorized to hand deliver the application to the Election Office.

When Can Application Be Made To Vote Absentee?

In Person: Not more than 40 days or less than 1 day prior to the election.

By Mail inside the US: Not more than 40 days or less than 5 days prior to the election.

By Mail outside the US:

• Not less than 30 days prior to the election to receive full ballot or;

• less than 30 days prior to the election, but more than 10 days prior to the election to receive a Federal Ballot only.

Can Anyone Who Requested An Absentee Ballot Vote At The Polls On Election Day?

A person who has requested an absentee ballot cannot be permitted to vote in the polling place on Election Day. Exceptions: Any voter to whom an absentee ballot was issued may vote in the polls if:

• the voter submits to the election judges their absentee ballot, or a portion of the ballot for cancellation;

• the voter fills out an affidavit stating that they never received the absentee ballot;

• or the voter fills out an affidavit stating they completed and returned an absentee ballot and the election authority did not receive it.

Did You Know?

Absentee voters have the same obligations as those who vote in the polling place on Election Day. After completing the application, they must vote their ballot in complete secrecy.

The affidavits on the application and the ballot envelope must be signed. These affidavits attest to the accuracy of the information provided on the application. The affidavit on the envelope attests to the fact that the voter is voting his/her own ballot in secret.

If an absentee ballot is done by mail, the voted ballot must be placed into the certification envelope provided. The certification on the envelope must be completed, signed, and the envelope sealed. Absentee ballots must all be personally returned or mailed to the election authority. Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight on the night prior to the election, and must be received within 14 days of the election. All absentee ballots are processed centrally.

If the voter receives assistance in voting their absentee ballot, the name and address of the individual giving the assistance must be placed on the allot certification envelope. Remember that a candidate is NOT allowed to assist an absentee voter unless the candidate is a spouse, parent, child or sibling of the absentee voter.

The absentee voter may authorize, in writing, a spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, or licensed motor carrier, to deliver to the ballot to the election authority.

Where Does Absentee Voting Take Place?

Absentee voting may take place in person or by mail. Registered voter's within Sangamon County who wish to cast their absentee ballot in person, may do so in the Sangamon County Election Office located in Room 105 of the County Building, 200 S. 9th Street, Springfield. Their office hours for absentee voting are 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday, and on Saturday 8:30 am - Noon. In person absentee voting may occur not more than 40 days nor less than 1 day prior to the election.

In order to vote absentee in person, you must first complete the application for absent voter's ballot. This application may be completed in the County Election Office at the same time you will be casting your absentee ballot. After completion of your application, you will be issued the appropriate ballot and will immediately be directed to a voting booth set-up in our office and will cast your ballot in the same manner as if you were at your polling place.