Thank an Election Worker Today! |
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April 2022
Election workers are among the many heroes of our democracy—without them, we would not be able to hold elections!
Take a moment to reflect on all of the people who give of their time and talent to make elections happen. Some of them are you! Thank you to all of you who share your time and talent to ensure that our elections run smoothly.
Thanks to election workers, we all have the opportunity to express our opinions, to have our voice heard. Whether you choose to vote by mail or in person, whether you vote early or on election day, thousands of people stepped up to make sure you could cast your vote.
But what if you planned a party and nobody came? Will you show up? Who will you bring? Will the people in your life cast their vote?
While we appreciate our election workers, let’s also make sure they have plenty to do. Support election workers by encouraging family, friends and neighbors to get to the polls.
It has never been easier to vote in Illinois. Apply for a vote by mail ballot today; ballots will be mailed starting May 19. Early voting begins on May 19, so start learning about candidates NOW. Let’s get the people in our lives to be a part of the election process by casting their vote!
Block party, book club, carpool, work friends—who are you activating?
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President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
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Illinois General Primary Election: June 28
Make Your Plan to Vote
Go to the Illinois Voter Guide to get started. The first step in your plan is to make sure you are registered. The second is to know where and when to vote. Then spread the word using the image and print files on the LWVIL website.
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Empower Your Networks
You will find all the nonpartisan candidate information you need for races statewide in the Illinois Voter Guide when election day draws near, including recordings of candidate forums. Use the Illinois Voter Guide to help increase voter turnout by informing and empowering your personal networks.
Download, print and share this handy election calendar—make sure everyone you know votes.
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Apply for A Vote By Mail Ballot Today
As of March 30, you can apply for a vote by mail ballot from your election authority.
The first step is to check your voter registration and make sure you are registered to vote. Only registered voters will be issued a vote by mail ballot. Next, find your election authority, go to their website and follow the directions to apply for a vote by mail ballot.
You can apply for permanent vote by mail status as early as 45 days before election day. Voters with permanent vote by mail status will be automatically sent a vote by mail ballot for every election. You can ask to be removed from this list at any time.
May 19: First day for the election authority to send vote by mail ballots to applicants.
June 13: Early voting begins. Voters may place their vote by mail ballots in a drop box, if drop boxes are available in their county. Voters may also deliver their vote by mail ballots in person to their local election authority during early voting. Check with your election authority for locations.
June 23: Last day for an election authority to receive vote by mail ballot applications via mail.
June 27: Last day for a registered voter to apply in person at an election authority for a vote by mail ballot.
June 28: General primary election day! Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked by this date. Voters may also drop off vote by mail ballots with their election authority or in a drop box. Check with your election authority for locations.
NOTE: If you change your mind, you may surrender your vote by mail ballot at your polling place and vote in person instead. If you lose your vote by mail ballot, or it doesn’t arrive in the mail, you can vote with a provisional ballot at your polling place. Provisional ballots are counted 14 days after the polls close, once the election authority confirms that you haven't cast a vote by mail ballot.
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Do You Know: What is a Closed Primary?
In Illinois, the primary election is what is known as a closed primary. This means that in order to receive a ballot, voters must declare a party affiliation and vote a ballot listing only candidates from that party.
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New Legislative Districts: Has Yours Changed?
In 2021, the governor signed into law the newly drawn federal and state legislative maps, reflecting the 2020 census changes in population. Many Illinois voters now find themselves in new US congressional districts and new state house and senate districts.
View your voting district using this Find My Elected Officials mapping tool from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Entering an address brings up a list of elected offices. Your current elected official and voting district map can be found by clicking on the name of the office. Your voting district for the 2022 elections can be found by clicking on the 2022 office.
For example, State Senator will bring up your current state senator and voting district map. 2022 State Senator will bring up your 2022 voting district map (candidate information is not yet available).
Learn about the candidates running in your districts from the Illinois Voter Guide in June and be ready to vote in the June 28 Primary Election.
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The Myth of Election Fraud
We’ve all heard or read it, many of us from friends or relatives: the 2020 election was rigged, marred by systemic fraud. It’s a myth. The fact is, the 2020 election was one of the more secure and fair elections in our nation’s history.
It is important to educate voters and dispel the myth of election fraud. Voters need to know that the 2022 elections will be secure and fair. There simply was no widespread voter fraud in 2020. Take a brief look at election security from three different angles:
Voters and their Ballots
A record number of voters turned out for the 2020 election. People voted in person, either early or on election day, and by mail. While in-person voting, the voter watches the ballot being counted. A ballot cast by mail is given a tracking code, so the voter can track their ballot and be notified when their vote is counted. In either case, ballots can not be altered or discarded after votes are cast, thus ensuring that votes can be recounted if necessary. Not one of the various 2020 recounts undertaken around the country revealed systemic election fraud.
Election Authorities and Officials
No election official in the country has substantiated any election fraud claims. Not one. Election officials are justifiably proud of the job they do to make sure that elections are conducted fairly.
In Illinois, 108 different election authorities are responsible for conducting elections. These election authorities operate independently—there is no statewide, centralized voting database, and vote counts are supervised at the local level. The election authorities’ independence limits the possibility of coordinated, system-wide election tampering.
Government Agencies and Courts
The US Election Assistance Commission, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Bureau of Investigation all investigated the 2020 election, and none have found widespread voter fraud. Additionally, the courts have consistently rejected over 50 cases brought before them, citing a lack of evidence of voter fraud.
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Issues Briefing Resources Available
During LWVIL’s annual Issues Briefing, attendees received advocacy tips such as: when meeting with a legislator, sharing a personal story is the most effective way of ensuring that your “ask” will be remembered.
Sessions throughout the week focused on a variety of issues, among them tools for identifying mis- and dis-information, obstacles faced by individuals after release from prison, legislation addressing culturally relevant instruction in our schools, and updates on gun violence statistics.
Issues Briefing session recordings and materials can be found under News & Events on the LWVIL website.
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Climate Change Forum
Saturday, April 16, 2:00–4:00 PM
Come hear Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist for WGN-TV, and a distinguished panel discuss recent developments in climate change science, law and policy. This forum is sponsored by LWV Lake Michigan Region. You may attend virtually or in person at Venue Six 10, 610 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL. Register to attend.
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Stay up to date!
Follow the League of Women Voters of Illinois on social media. Share the message.
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Thank you for supporting our work to defend democracy and empower voters.
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