ABSENTEE VOTING
What is Absentee
Voting?
Absentee voting is the process of casting a ballot prior to Election
Day.
Who can vote
by Absentee Ballot?
Registered
voters in the City of East St. Louis are eligible to cast an absentee
ballot by applying for such ballot as described below.
How do I obtain
an absentee ballot?
A voter must
submit an Application for Absentee Ballot** before a ballot is
issued. The application may be submitted in person or by mail.
The Board
of Elections office must receive the Application for Absentee
Ballot no later than the Thursday before an election for a ballot
to be mailed back to the voter.
Can I vote
absentee in person instead of by mail?
After printed
ballots are available for any election (usually about a month
before the election), absentee voting can be done in person in
the office of the Board of Elections until the end of office hours
the day before any election, including from 9 a.m. until noon
on the Saturday before the election.
Are there
alternatives to absentee voting?
Voters should
check the Early Voting dates to see if that could be an option
for them. These dates are available on the home page, or by calling
our office at 618-398-3778.
How and when
will absentee ballots be counted?
Absentee ballots
are counted by election judges on election day in ballot tabulating
equipment just like ballots at the polls. To be counted, absentee
ballots must be returned in person before the close of polls on
election day; or postmarked before midnight on the day before
the election, and arrive by mail in the office within 14 days
after the election. Absentee ballots returned late but not under
these conditions are not counted.
How do I obtain
an Absentee Ballot Application?
Call us and
the Board of Elections will mail you an Application for Absentee
Ballot preprinted with your voter information. OR
Print a blank
application form below**, complete, and mail to our office. OR
Come to our
office and complete an application. The ballot will be mailed
when it is available about a month before the election.
I am permanently
disabled. Can I vote an absentee ballot in every election?
For further
information about being included on the permanently disabled list
of voters for automatic absentee balloting, contact:
The Board
of Election Commissioners
8740 State Street, East St. Louis, IL 62203
ABSENTEE VOTING
APPLICATION
Registered voters who live within the corporate city limits of
Bloomington, Illinois ONLY mail the form to us. OR call 618-398-3778
and we will send you a preprinted absentee application by mail.
Others should
contact their local election authorities. St. Clair County voters
who live outside the city limits of East St. Louis should contact
the St. Clair County Clerk's office at 618-277-6600.
MILITARY AND
OVERSEAS VOTERS
Military and
overseas voters - see U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting
Assistance Program online at http://www.fvap.gov/
for instructions on registering to vote and requesting absentee
ballots as well as the forms necessary to do so.