QUALITIFICATION FOR VOTING

In order to be qualified to register to vote:

• You MUST be a U. S. Citizen.
• You MUST be at least 18 years of age by the date of the next election.
• You MUST reside in the precinct 30 days prior to the next election.

VOTER REGISTRATION
There are various places you may become registered to vote.

Voter registration is available in person at the Randolph County Clerk's Office at the Randolph County Courthouse, 1 Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois. Officers are 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Randolph County Courthouse is handicap accessible.

Two forms of identification are required to become a registered voter. One must show your name and current address, along with a current photo. The second need only show your name. These forms of identification shall include, but not be limited to:

• Driver's License
• Checkbook
• Student I.D. Card
• Social Security Card
• Utility Bill
• State I.D. Card
• Birth Certificate
• Bank Statement
• Credit Card

If you have any questions as to what is appropriate identification, please contact the Randolph County Clerk's Office at (618) 826-5000 ext. 191, extension 305.

The following web sites also offer voter registration. Please review all details as specified in this website: www.Beavoter.org

The following agencies are also qualified to register you to vote:

• State of Illinois Driver's License facilities
• Department of Public Aid offices
• Department of Public Health offices
• Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities offices
• Office of the Department of Rehabilitation Service

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES
Voter registration is open year round except a period just prior to each election and during a short period following each election.

VOTER REGISTRATION CHANGE OF ADDRESS
If you are currently registered to vote in Randolph County and have moved within Randolph County, you may change your voter registration address by completing the information on the reverse side of your voter identification card and returning it to the Randolph County Clerk's Office.

If you have misplaced your voter identification card, you may call the Randolph County Clerk's Office at (618) 826-5000 ext. 191 to ask for a replacement card.

If you are currently registered to vote in Randolph County and have moved outside Randolph County, you must re-register with the local election authority in your new county of residence.

If you have moved and not changed your registration address with the Randolph County Clerk's Office, you may be eligible to vote for all offices, for Federal Offices only or you may not be allowed to vote, depending on when and where you moved. Please check with the Randolph County Clerk's Office at (618) 826-5000 ext. 191 for your specific situation.

VOTER REGISTRATION CANCELLATION Once a citizen is registered to vote, his / her name is to remain on the registration roster as long as he / she remains eligible to vote in that election jurisdiction. Removal of a voter's name from the list of registered voters, cancellation of his / her registration, may only be made for the following reasons:

1. REQUEST OF THE VOTER A voter may request in writing that their name be removed from the voter registration file (does not require that a reason be given), or a voter may acknowledge in writing that he / she no longer is a resident of the election jurisdiction. Similarly, an attempt by the voter to register to vote in another election jurisdiction is deemed to be a request to cancel all previous voter registrations.
2. INCARCERATION If a voter is incarcerated pursuant to a conviction of a crime, his / her voter registration may be cancelled.
3. FALSIFICATION OF APPLICATION / NOT QUALIFIED If the voter is convicted of a crime involving a material falsification of his voter registration in regard to age, citizenship, or residence, his / her registration may be cancelled.
4. DEATH If the election authority receives proof of the death of a registered voter, this voter's registration may be cancelled.
5. INABILITY TO VERIFY CURRENT REGISTRATION ADDRESS

REPLACEMENT VOTER ID CARD
A voter identification card is mailed to every voter once his or her registration is completed by the Randolph County Clerk's Office. This card serves as your proof that you are a registered voter and includes information such as your polling place, precinct and all jurisdictions in which you are entitled to vote. If you have misplaced your card, please call the Randolph County Clerk's Office at (618) 826-5000 ext. 191 for a replacement.

ILLINOIS ELECTION JURISDICTIONS
There are 111 Election Jurisdictions within the State of Illinois. There are 101 county election jurisdictions, one county board of commissioners and nine city boards of election commissioners. If you live in the cities of Aurora, Bloomington, Chicago, Danville, East St. Louis, Galesburg, Peoria or Rockford, you should contact that board of election commissioners for information regarding voter registration. If you do not live in one of those 8 cities, then you should contact the County Clerk of the county in which you reside for information regarding voter registration.

For further information or assistance, you may want to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections at 217-782-4141 in Springfield or 312-814-6440 in Chicago. Additional information can be found on the State Board of Elections web site: http://www.elections.state.il.us

ABSENTEE BALLOTS - GENERAL INFORMATION
Many registered voters in Illinois, for various reasons, are unable to vote in person at the polling place on Election Day. For those voters who qualify, absentee voting is available prior to each election. This voting method allows registered voters to cast their ballots without having to go to the polling place. Absentee ballots are delivered to the election judges at the polling place on Election Day in sealed envelopes. After the polls close these ballots are then processed and placed in the ballot box (within their secrecy envelope) with all other ballots cast at the polls that day. The absentee ballots are then tabulated election night along with all the other voted ballots.

Interested persons must apply for an absentee ballot prior to the election by completing an application for absent voter's ballot. Absentee voting may be done by mail or you may vote absentee in person at the Randolph County Clerk's Office.

In order to vote by absentee ballot you must be a registered voter unable to vote at your polling place on Election Day for one of the following reasons:

1. You expect to be absent from your county of residence (including students temporarily abiding outside the precinct in which he or she is registered to vote due to the fact he or she is a student attending an institution of higher learning).
2. You are physically unable to go to the polling place.
3. Religious holiday.
4. Certain election duties.
5. You are serving as a sequestered juror on a state or federal jury.

You must state your reason under oath. If you knowingly make a false statement under oath in order to get an absentee ballot, you may be guilty of a serious crime punishable by up to five years in prison and shall be ineligible for public employment for a five year period following completion of the sentence. Any person who knowingly solicits you to falsify your eligibility to cast an absentee ballot may be guilty of a Class 3 felony.

If you are physically unable to mark the ballot or unable to read or write the English language, a relative or friend may assist you in voting. Federal and State laws prohibit your employer, your employer's agent or an officer or agent of your union from assisting physically disabled voters. State law prohibits a candidate whose name appears on the ballot (unless the physically disabled voter is the spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of the candidate) from assisting a physically disabled voter.

The person assisting must mark the ballot as directed by the voter. Individuals who make any attempt to influence the voter's choice of candidates, party or votes in relation to a public question, or mark the ballot other than as directed by the voter may be guilty of a Class 4 felony. If the person assisting cannot tell the voter's intent, they must not mark the ballot in any way or subsequently divulge the candidate(s) or public questions for whom the voter chose to cast a vote for or against.

If the voter receives assistance in voting his absentee ballot, the name and address of the person giving assistance must be placed on the ballot certification envelope.

WHO MAY VOTE ABSENTEE
Only the following individuals may vote absentee:

• 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 who are a resident of a licensed care facility or nursing home.
• Registered voters who are attending an institution of higher education.
• 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 in the office of a State's Attorney, County Clerk, a Board of Election Commissioners, or State Board of Elections will be unable to be present at the polls.
• Registered voters who are serving as sequestered jurors on a State or Federal jury.
• Registered or non-registered members of religious groups, welfare agencies as well as their spouses and dependants who are officially attached to or assisting members of the Armed Forces who expect to be absent from the county in which they reside on election day.
• State and Federal employees 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.
• A registered citizen temporarily residing overseas.
• Any citizen residing outside of the country, not registered to vote but qualified to vote in a Federal Election, may vote an absentee ballot for Federal offices.

Absentee Voting Process
The first step in securing an absentee ballot is to request an application for absent voter's ballot from the Randolph County Clerk's Office. This application may be obtained in person from the County Clerk's Office in the Randolph County Courthouse, or by calling the County Clerk's Office at (618) 826-5000 ext. 191.

Registered voters within Randolph County who wish to cast their absentee ballot by mail must first complete and return an application for absent voter's ballot within the appropriate time period prior to the election. Absentee ballots by mail may be applied for not more than 40 days nor less than 5 days prior to the election. Once the Randolph County Clerk's Office is in receipt of your application, an absentee ballot will be mailed to you within 48 hours.

Registered voters within Randolph County who wish to cast their absentee ballot in person, may do so in the Randolph County Clerk's Office located in the Randolph County Courthouse, 1 Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois. Office hours for absentee voting are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In person absentee voting may occur not more than 40 days nor less than 1 day prior to each regular 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 Randolph County Clerk's 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 the Randolph County Clerk's Office and will cast your ballot in the same manner as if you were at your polling place.