Elections

Jo Daviess County Election Authority
Voter Registration Information

Who is Eligible to Register to Vote?
To be eligible to register to vote a person must:

Be a citizen of the United States.
Be 18 years old to vote in a Consolidated or General Election or 17 years old to vote in a General Primary, if the individual will be 18 by the time of the General Election.
Reside in the precinct for 30 days prior to Election Day.
Must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.
May not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

Where You May Register
In the office of the County Clerk, libraries, schools, with a Deputy Registrar, or state agency, such as the Secretary of State’s office, via mail application, or by registering online at: https://ova.elections.il.gov/ Please note that you will be required to provide two forms of identification, either at the time of registration or the first time you vote.

Change of Address
A change of address must be received by the County Clerk postmarked no later than 28 days prior to any election in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Registered voters who have moved within the county may notify the County Clerk’s office in any of the following ways:

Complete and sign the reverse side of their voter registration card and return it to the election authority.
Written and signed, a letter listing the old address and new address.
By filling out an application for transfer of registration which may be obtained at the County Clerk’s office or from one of the deputy registrars.
By submitting the change online at: https://ova.elections.il.gov/

Election Information

Voting by Mail
A registered voter may request an official “Application for Vote by Mail Ballot.” A request for the official application must include the name and home address of the applicant and the address to which the application should be sent.

The official application may be mailed to the County Clerk not more than 90 or less than 5 days prior to the election. If the official application filed within that time is properly completed, ballots will be mailed to the applicant.

The application for outside the United States must be received by the County Clerk not less than 30 days prior to the election.

All ballots, whether used or not, must be returned to the County Clerk’s Office.

Early Voting
Registered voters may vote early in person at the County Clerk’s Office. The period for early voting begins the 40th day preceding an election and extends through the end of the day before the Election Day.

Military and Overseas Citizens
Members of the Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents living with them, who expect to be absent from the county in the course of their duties, may cast a vote by mail ballot in all elections and need not be registered. This also applies to civilian employees of the U.S. government serving outside the United States. Contact the County Clerk’s Office for information.

Grace Period Registration and Voting
Grace period provides individuals who were unable to register to vote or change their address prior to the traditional deadline an opportunity to register and vote up through Election Day. Individuals registering during the grace period may vote only at the time of registration and are not eligible to cast a vote at the polling place on Election Day.

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