Democratic Party Technology Chair

February 5th, 2026 is the first date on which you can vote a mail-in ballot for the upcoming March 17th, 2026 primary election.  As explained below, you can choose to vote it, or you can bring it to a polling place, surrender it, and vote in person.  But if you do choose to vote it, be sure to track it here: TRACK YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT. Scroll down for more information about tracking your ballot.

SIGNING UP FOR VOTE-BY-MAIL

McHenry County registered voters (check your registration!) can sign up to Vote-By-Mail (VBM) right now, either just for this election or permanently ("Permanent-Vote-By-Mail").

Here's the applications for either - click on the link to open it, and then print it:

• Application for Vote By Mail - single election or permanent

     You can also request a Vote-By-Mail application by calling the County Clerk at 815-334-4242 - they'll mail it to you.

After printing and filling it in, you can either:

• Scan it and email the PDF to [email protected], or
• Mail it to McHenry County Clerk, Attn:  Vote By Mail Department, 2200 N Seminary Ave, Woodstock, IL 60098.

Due date:  Applications to Vote-By-Mail for the upcoming primary election must be received by the County Clerk by Thursday, March 12th, 2026.  Don't wait - apply immediately.  If mailing the application, it's a good idea to keep a copy.

Thursday February 5th, 2026, is the first day for the Clerk's office to mail VBM ballots for the upcoming primary election. The Clerk requests allowing 5 days for the USPS to deliver your ballot.  If you expect to receive your ballot and haven't, call the County Clerk at 815-334-4242 to inquire.

What to do with your Vote-By-Mail ballot

• When your ballot comes, open and discard the outer envelope.  Inside you'll find (1) the ballot, (2) two envelopes -- an inner Ballot Certification Envelope and a mailing envelope, and (3) an instruction sheet.
  
  
• To vote the ballot, make your choices -- use a BLACK ink pen (not a permanent marker), completely darkening the oval next to the candidate of your choice and the propositions.  Then put it in the Ballot Certification Envelope, seal the envelope.  Sign the Ballot Certification Envelope in the signature box, again using a black ink pen, exactly as you did when you registered to vote, and add the date you signed the ballot on the date line.  Then put the Ballot Certification Envelope in the mailing envelope and seal it.
  
  
• Add your return address in the upper-left corner of the mailing envelope.  You can now either (a) add a first class stamp and pop the sealed mailing envelope in any US mailbox (taking it to the post office is best), or (b) deposit the ballot in any McHenry County ballot dropbox, or at the Clerk's office.

What’s the deadline for dropping off or mailing my ballot?

Vote-by-mail ballots for the upcoming primary election must be returned or postmarked no later than election day, Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. VBM ballots can be returned by either the voter or any person authorized by the voter, or by a licensed delivery company. Ballots can be delivered to a drop box or to the Clerk's office prior to the polls closing at 7 pm.  If mailed, they must be postmarked by March 17th.

Special Note:  because of a recent change in USPS policy, ballots deposited in mailboxes prior to the final collection time of the day, might not be postmarked on that day.  If you wish to vote your VBM ballot and it's getting close to Election Day, we recommend either (a) being sure to use one of the dropboxes, or (b) going to the post office window and ensuring that the envelope will have the postmark hand-stamped.

If you've lost your Vote-By-Mail ballot, or you've never received it, you can still vote -- just go to the polling place and tell the Election Judge.

What if I get a VBM ballot and then decide I want to vote in person?

Easy. Just bring your VBM ballot and envelope to your polling place once in-person voting begins, return them to an election judge, and request a regular ballot to vote then and there. Having the VBM ballot in hand before the polls are open for in-person voting, ensures that if you’d rather not leave home, you can still vote. Remember we need your vote!

Where are the ballot dropboxes?

You can use any convenient dropbox.

There's a 24X7 ballot dropbox in the parking lot of the McHenry County Administration Building, directly across from the building entrance, at 667 Ware Road in Woodstock, immediately north of the courthouse.

Additionally, there are drop boxes available inside the voting room of the following early voting locations.  Note: NOT ALL EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS WILL HAVE A DROPBOX FOR VBM BALLOTS!  Please see the Q&A "EARLY VOTING" for exact locations and hours.  Dropboxes are typically available at the following locations during early voting hours at:

• Algonquin Township Office
• Crystal Lake Public Library
• Lake in the Hills Village Hall
• McHenry Township Office

What if there's a problem with my VBM ballot when the county clerk receives it?

The county clerk is required to notify you of any problems with your ballot within 48 hours of receiving it.

What if I requested a VBM ballot but don't receive it by Election Day?

Go to your polling place on Election Day.  Ask to fill out an affidavit stating that you never received the VBM ballot.  You can then vote. REFUSE TO VOTE PROVISIONALLY.

What if I returned a VBM ballot to the Clerk but they have not received it by Election Day?

Go to your polling place on Election Day.  Ask to fill out an affidavit stating that you returned the VBM ballot and the election authority did not receive it. You can then vote.  REFUSE TO VOTE PROVISIONALLY.

What if I still have questions about VBM?

You can email the Democratic Party of McHenry County at [email protected] or call us at 847-906-1559.

VBM Tips

• Do not initial the ballot!
• It is ok to undervote, which means to leave a question blank or to only vote for one candidate even though you can vote for two. Your ballot will still count. For example, if there is no Democrat running or there is only one Democrat running, only vote for the Democratic candidate. 
• Sign your name as you signed it when you registered to vote. 
• Make sure your envelope is sealed!

IMPORTANT - TRACK YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT on our county clerk's website.  It's quick and easy and you can make sure your ballot has been received and counted.  You can sign up for automated texts, emails or phone calls to be notified whenever the status of your ballot changes.

Check the details to make sure your ballot has been received and counted.  If you see a yellow caution signal together with a message to call the county at 815-334-4242, it means there was a problem with your ballot.  Maybe the election judges who reviewed your signature believed it didn't match your signature on file.  If so, you will receive a letter from the clerk and will need to bring that letter together with ID to the clerk's office at 667 Ware Road in Woodstock to "cure" the problem with your ballot.  If you have any concerns about your vote-by-mail ballot, please email [email protected].