Raise your Voice, Cast Your Choice – Every Vote Counts
- Kim Arnold
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
The official day for the primary election will be March 17, 2026. Key items on the ballot
will be elections for candidates for various local offices, including county board
members and municipal positions, candidates for statewide offices, such as the
governor and other state executive positions, and local referendums or measures
specific to Champaign County that address community issues or funding initiatives.
But why wait?
Early voting increases voter participation and may contribute to a 2-3% increase in
overall participation. This trend is particularly evident among young voters and those
with less flexible schedules. Early voting allows voters to cast their ballots before
Election Day, while regular voting occurs on the designated Election Day itself.
More reasons to vote early
Firstly, increased accessibility, allowing voters to cast their ballots at their convenience.
It can accommodate those with work or personal commitments that may prevent them
from voting on the official day. Early voting often includes extended hours and multiple
locations, making it easier for voters to find a time and place that works for them. Early
voting polling places, which may differ from regular polling locations, can be more
conducive to your schedule. (Regular voters must go to their assigned polling places
based on their registered address and.)
The flexibility typically yields the benefit of reduced long lines too, as regular voters
must adhere to the hours set for Election Day voting.
Early voting often reduces stress, as voters can avoid the last-minute rush and potential
issues that may arise on Election Day, such as transportation problems or unforeseen
emergencies.
For the electoral process and those involved with its efficiency, officials find that time to
research issues without pressure of a deadline lends to the opportunity for more
informed voting. That, in turn, contributes overall to a more inclusive and efficient
electoral process.
The Lake of the Woods polling location at 109 S. Lake of The Woods Rd. has the
following dates and stipulations recorded for voters. (However, early voters should
ensure timing and note the available days or weeks before Election Day, depending on
state regulations.)
A complete list of early voting/grace period voting for Champaign County can be found
For the most accurate polling place based on your address, visit The Illinois Online
Voter Application Registration Lookup at
https://ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx and enter the applicable
information. The registration period for the online voter registration system will close at
11:59 PM on 03/01/2026 and will reopen on 03/19/2026.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes. The County Clerk’s office encourages requesting your vote by mail application on
their website https://champaignilted-
States all across the U.S. are almost entirely vote by mail because of the cost savings,
security, and ease of voting. Vote by mail uses the same machines for ballot printing,
tabulation, voter verification and checking in as in-person voting and all machines are
developed and governed by strict federal rules.
Once you request your ballot you will be able to track its progress to you and if you don’t
want to mail it back, you can use a drop box location to return it. Drop boxes are ¼-inch
secure drop sites with anti-theft components where voters can return their vote by mail
ballot. They are either bolted to concrete slabs or cemented into the ground and are
designed to prevent water leaking into the box. Once the ballot is dropped in the box, it
cannot be retrieved by the voter. There are 11 drop boxes in Champaign-Urbana, open
24/7. The drop box in Mahomet is located at the Mahomet Public Library at 1702 E Oak
Street.
“Vote by mail has been around since the Civil War and is a safe and reliable way to
vote. [It] used to be called ‘Absentee,’ but now any eligible voter can vote by mail,” says
the Champaign County Clerk’s office. “There are numerous checks and balances in
place throughout the entire vote by mail process to ensure complete transparency,
integrity and accuracy.”
Election Day
In order to register to vote on Election Day, the voter must appear in person at one of
the designated locations for registration and voting, and polls are open from 6:00 AM to
7:00 PM on Election Day. The voter must be a United States citizen, be a resident of the
precinct for 30 days, be 18 years of age or older, and provide two forms of ID, one of
which must show the voter’s address that they are registering from. The acceptable
forms of ID include, but are not limited to the following, Driver’s license, Social Security
card, a utility bill, an employee or student ID card, a lease or contract for a residence, a
credit card, a civic, union or professional association membership card or a FOID card.
Voter registration is available until 28 days before the election, and same-day
registration is allowed during early voting and on Election Day.
If you are returning your vote by mail ballot on Election Day, it must be in one of the 11
drop boxes before 7PM.
(*Also consider accessibility options. Both methods aim to increase voter participation
but may have different accessibility options.)