C-U News-Gazette: New law allows early voting

[kevsand]

http://www.newsgazette.com/localnews/story.cfm?Number=18849

By KATE CLEMENTS
© 2005 THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Published Online August 25, 2005

SPRINGFIELD – Voters would be able to vote in person before Election Day and even on Saturdays and Sundays, under a bill Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law this week.

Currently, absentee voting is allowed by mail only if a person has a good reason for not being available on Election Day. That provision is still in place, but voters can cast their ballots in person under the new early voting law for any reason at all.

"The early voting is the big thing and that's something we're thrilled about," said Kelley Quinn, spokeswoman for Cook County Clerk David Orr, who pushed for the new law. "It is going to make voting more convenient for the elderly and people who have busy schedules. It is also going to make lines at the polls shorter and takes pressure off of polling places."

The early voting period will start 22 days before the election and continue until the Thursday before Election Day. Because of an existing law permitting voter registrations up to 14 days before an election, this would create a nine-day window of time during which a person could register and vote on the same day.

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I hadn't heard about this until now. There are a number of other changes in the bill (HB 1968) that are also listed in the article.

[Willinois]

1. This has been seriously underreported.

It sounds technical but it can be a huge deal if candidates and the parties take advantage of having a two week long election day.

[mopinko]

2. excellent

gonna cross post this in election 2004.