Voters can Apply for Permanent Vote by Mail Status

 Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham announced that his office has mailed Vote by Mail ballot applications for the November 8, 2022 General Election to the approximately 300,000 registered voters in Kane County.

Pursuant to State statute, Public Act 102-15, which expanded voting options for registered voters in Illinois, the Clerk’s Office recently mailed an explanatory letter and an application for a permanent Vote by Mail ballot to all registered voters in Kane County.

Voters should expect to receive the clearly-marked envelope from the County Clerk’s Office this week. According to statute, registered voters who wish to vote by mail can now choose either to apply for a one-time Vote by Mail ballot for the Nov. 8 election only, or, apply for permanent Vote by Mail status, where the voter will receive a ballot for the Nov. 8 election and subsequent elections in the future.

Voters who wish to apply for permanent Vote by Mail (VBM) status should complete and sign the application they received in the mail from the Clerk’s Office and return it by mail to the Kane County Clerk’s Office at 719 S. Batavia Ave. (Bldg. B), Geneva, IL 60134, or by hand-delivery to the Clerk’s Office. Voters who have already applied for permanent VBM status can disregard the application.

Voters who wish to apply for a one-time VBM ballot for the Nov. 8 election can apply through the online portal at kanecountyclerk.org/Elections/Pages/Vote-by-Mail.aspx or by contacting the Kane County Clerk’s Office at (630) 232-5990 to request an application.

Per State law, VBM ballots cannot be mailed to voters until September 29.

Clerk Cunningham said, “For those voters who choose to Vote by Mail, the Kane County Clerk’s Office is ready to accommodate you. Two years ago, we were prepared to handle Vote by Mail ballots and were the only election authority in the area to report results quickly and accurately. Our automated system has been praised and recognized from election authorities across the nation, and we did it while saving the taxpayers of Kane County hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The Clerk’s Office is aware that political organizations and campaigns have mailed unsolicited VBM applications to voters. We request that voters who wish to vote by mail complete the application from the Clerk’s Office to ensure their application includes the correct information and is returned to the Kane County Clerk’s Office.

Even if a registered voter submits more than one application for a VBM ballot, only one ballot will be mailed to each registered voter. Only registered voters who are verified in the Clerk’s Voter Registration System are eligible to receive a ballot. The signatures on all VBM ballot envelopes are reviewed by a bipartisan team of election judges for verification, and envelopes are not opened unless the voter’s signature is verified.

Cunningham added, “As Clerk, I’ve worked to increase accessibility and voting options for all Kane County registered voters while increasing transparency and security. We want voters to feel confident knowing that we’ve done everything possible to provide them with every opportunity to vote, that the process was safe and secure, and that the results are fair and accurate--whether they vote in person at one of our Early Voting sites, by mail, or at a polling place on Election Day.”

As with previous elections, all voting options will be available to voters, including in-person Early Voting, Election Day voting, and VBM. Early Voting and Election Day polling locations are available at kanecountyelections.org. Personalized sample ballots will soon be available on the Clerk’s website.

The Clerk’s Office has developed new and innovative ways to serve the public, including expanding the number of early voting sites in Kane County, establishing a call center for residents and election workers to resolve Election Day problems, developing a Voter Outreach Program to encourage voter participation, and automating technology.

Updated information is available on the Clerk’s website, Facebook @kanecountyclerk, and Twitter @KaneCoILClerk.