Where do I vote?
My Voter Information Lookup – Available through the Sangamon County Clerk Office's website, this tool allows registered voters to:
- Review the status of their Voter Registration
- Track their Vote by Mail request and ballot
- Learn about Early Voting details and hours
- Find their Polling Place location
- View their Sample Ballot
Office of Sangamon County Clerk – This is the official website of the Sangamon County Clerk which provides answers to questions like “Who can register to vote?” and “Where do I vote?”
Election Dates:
Early Voting: February 25 - April 5
Consolidated Election : April 6, 2021
Vote by Mail: Applications for Vote by Mail ballots can be filled out electronically or printed out and mailed to the Election Office located in the County Building at 200 S. Ninth Street, Room 105, Springfield, IL 62701.
Visit https://www.sangamoncountyclerk.com/Elections/Vote/AbsenteeApplication… or call (217) 753-8683 for more information.
What is a Consolidated Election?
Consolidated primaries and consolidated elections occur in odd-numbered years. In 2021, the consolidated election will take place on April 6, 2021 (Sangamon County will not have a consolidated primary election in 2021).
"In odd-numbered years, an election to be known as the consolidated election shall be held on the first Tuesday in April except as provided in Section 2A-1.1a of this Act; and an election to be known as the consolidated primary election shall be held on the last Tuesday in February. (Source: P.A. 95-6, eff. 6-20-07; 96-886, eff. 1-1-11.)"
Retrieved from: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=170
Offices Up For Election:
During consolidated elections, specific offices are filled. The following resources identify those offices up for election in Illinois, those candidates running specifically in Sangamon County, and the Public Notice of Lottery Results for Ballot Placement for those due to simultaneous filings:
2021 Local Election Officials Handbook: Pages v - vii outline the 2021 Illinois offices up for election.
Sangamon County April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election Candidate List: Provided by the Sangamon County Clerk's Office, this provides a list of Sangamon County candidates and the offices for which they're running.
Public Notice of Lottery Results for Ballot Placement
How can I learn more about the candidates and the responsibilities of the offices up for election?
There will be a number of candidate forums in the weeks leading up to the consolidated election:
- The Ball-Chatham Education Association hosted a School Board Candidate Forum on Thursday, March 4th. The recording of this forum can be viewed at https://youtu.be/NYYE-m9Y4BI.
- The Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chatham Area Public Library will host and post a number of virtual forums. These forums will be an opportunity to virtually meet candidates and hear about their ideas and plans should they take office:
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The School Board forum, moderated by Greg Bishop of WMAY, will be live streamed and will take place on Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 PM at https://youtu.be/zAmlVdc_ylU. The Chamber solicited for the submission of questions from the public for this forum.
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Chatham Township Supervisor and Trustee Candidates Virtual Forum: The Chamber solicited for the submission of questions from the public for this forum. This forum can be viewed at https://youtu.be/15yMFlrOxL0.
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Ball Township Supervisor and Trustee Candidates Virtual Forum: The Chamber solicited for the submission of questions from the public for this forum. This forum can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_AmoosldnUc.
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Chatham Area Public Library Board of Trustee Candidate Introductions: This video, introducing candidates in this uncontested race, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/KaKF2H-RQ8o.
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Village of Chatham Candidate Introductions: This video, introducing candidates in uncontested races, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/9_sVbSwxJiA.
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Powers and Duties of the Ball-Chatham School Board: This is the official page of the Ball-Chatham School District Board. It describes the role of the Board, Board policies, meeting information, and more.
The Illinois Municipal League has put out a Candidate's Guide to Municipal Government which, on pages 1-3, outlines the roles and responsibilies of some elected officials.
What is Township?
According to Township Officials of Illinois, Illinois townships are charged with three basic functions:
- general assistance to those in need
- property assessment
- maintenance of all roads and bridges outside federal, state, and other local jurisdiction
The Better Government Association states that a township, "is a unit of local government typically carved out of a county to represent a geographical or political subdivision. Townships are created at the local level to serve a specific segment of the population within a designated area. They generally provide services such as road maintenance and social welfare programs."