Democratic Party Technology Chair
Profile
Michael Bissett
If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them. — PAUL WELLSTONE
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Voter Information
Election Day is Tuesday November 3rd, 2026
Early Voting starts September 24th- Whom To Vote For -- Our Democratic Candidates
- 2026 Election Schedule
- Are you registered to vote?
- How to register to vote.
- Vote by Mail
- Voting In Person on Election Day
- Sample Ballot Locator
- For Pollwatchers
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Vote by Mail
When it comes to convenience, nothing beats Voting By Mail (VBM). Here's everything you need to know.
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:
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
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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.
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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].
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The Blue Wave depends on you!
Destiny is on our side. The facts are on our side. Now, we need you on our side.
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Our Candidates
Democrats are running and winning across all elections at every level
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in McHenry County, Illinois.
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Campaign Boot Camp
Read MoreNobody builds smart, effective grassroots political organizations like the Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association. One important key to our building efforts is our annual Candidate Boot Camp, put on in conjunction with the National Democratic Training Committee's Blue Bench Training Program.
Registration is now open for this amazing three-day intensive training that will take place on May 17th - 19th at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.
This year's training will be better than ever. There will be three tracks:
Track 1 - Candidate Training is for candidates and potential candidates who are involved with their county party.
Track 2 - Staff Training is for anyone wishing to take on a staff role in a campaign, preferably for a local, countywide or County Board race.
Track 3 - Local Party Training / County Chairs Training is for County Chairs. If there is room, applications from precinctpersons will be considered.
You must apply by April 26, 2019.
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Our Elected Officials
This is what winning looks like.You helped us elect great Democrats who will fight for your values.We are just getting started!
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Why do people vote against their own self-interests?
See All PostsThis is long, but well worth the time to watch.
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Brett Kavanaugh
See All PostsFirst off, my thanks to Marti Swanson for sending this to me in an email. Second, my apologies to all, but I had a helluva time deciding which slimy categories this best fit into, there were so many deserving of it. This is an article that I think explains a great deal more than we're accustomed to seeing and once again highlights the corruption so rampant in this misadministration in general and the usurper who occupies the Oval Office.---Dan
http://jaxpolitix.com/2018/09/30/jax-politix-good-news-edition/
Jax Politix – Good News Edition v1.0
Jack Altschuler - JaxPolitix - 30 Sept 2018
A partial compendium of Trumpian distractions designed to keep your eye off the ball.
[Part I - Kavanaugh]
The good news associated with the Kavanaugh hearings is that the American Bar
Association called for the nomination process to be put on hold and for the FBI to
investigate the serious new and credible allegations that have been made against
Kavanaugh. In addition, the Jesuits called for Kavanaugh’s nomination to be
withdrawn altogether. That’s quite in contrast to the behavior of the Republicans
on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who continue to refuse to release to
Committee Democrats 100,000 documents pertaining to Kavanaugh’s record.
In this era of the loudest, shrillest, most strident voices, when people who have a
piece of the power of the machine are scratching and clawing to hold on to it and
who will sell their souls to keep it, there still are people of good sense and good
will. We’re all the better for that.
Here’s the really good news to come from this mostly sordid Kavanaugh affair.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was cornered in an elevator by two women survivors of
sexual assault. They confronted him with the intolerable of his knowing of the
accusations against Kavanaugh and yet being likely to vote him onto the Supreme
Court anyway and what that would say to these women and the many women like
them. One of the women, Maria Gallagher, courageously said,
“Don’t look away from me. Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what
happened to me. That you will let people like that go into the highest court of the
land and tell everyone what they can do with their bodies.”
It was a watershed moment of demanding the respect that was due her,
respect that had heretofore been denied and is commonly denied to women who
have been abused in this way. Apparently, it made a difference.
Flake went back to the committee room and agreed to vote Kavanaugh out of
committee with the proviso that there be a delay in a floor vote and an FBI
investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh.
Jeff Flake just stood up to the President of the United States, Senate leadership
and much of Senate membership in order to do the right thing. Even one man with
a spine is a really good thing.
[Part II - House Republicans Unmasked]
Last year Congress gave away $1.9 trillion in tax breaks and 83% of it went to
wealthy people and corporations. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for them, so as
the nation was focused on the Kavanaugh political drama, the House voted to
up the tax gift to $3 trillion. Gotta wonder where that money will come from.
You don’t suppose it might be taken from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,
do you?
That sneaky stuff by Paul Ryan’s House may not sound like good news, but like the
kid finding piles of horse manure in his backyard and declaring happily, “There’s
gotta be a pony here somewhere!” there is some good news in Sneaky Paul’s
behavior.
In their haste to suck all sense from government, House Republicans used the
Kavanaugh cover of darkness to ram this bill through. In doing so, they’ve
shown us conclusively exactly who and what they are. That’s good news.
[Part III - HIV-AIDS]
In the 1970s and -80s the reach and impact of HIV-AIDS was terrifying. There
were no tools to combat it. Now this, from The Boston Globe’s STAT publication,
Just a decade ago, 45,000 people in the U.S. were contracting HIV each year. Now,
the fight against HIV could be undergoing a sea change. Buoyed by the
astonishing impact of effective HIV medications, health officials and HIV experts
are beginning to talk about a future in which transmission could be halted in the
U.S. “We have the science to solve the AIDS epidemic,” CDC Director Robert
Redfield tells STAT.
Now, that’s good news, indeed.
[Part IV - Victims Heard]
Bill Cosby squandered a lifetime of entertainment success by preying upon women
by drugging them and then sexually violating them. He was found guilty of sexual
assault and last week was sentenced to 3 – 10 years in prison plus a $25,000 fine,
as well as having to pay prosecution costs of about $43,000. In addition, his
sentence includes mandatory monthly counseling and Cosby will have to register as
a sex offender if and when he’s released.
The good news is that at last victims were heard instead of shamed and blamed
and that justice, however delayed, was served.
[Part V - One Child Reunited with Parents]
Finally, 141 children are still in U.S. custody after having been ripped from
their parents’ arms and kidnapped by the U.S. government. Reunification is
difficult because after kidnapping the children the geniuses in Washington had
their parents deported and did so without creating documentation that would tie
children to their parents.
That sounds bad, but here’s the good news: A 6-year old girl named Marianita was
reunited with her parents in Honduras last week. That’s why there are 141 assylumseeking
children still in kid prisons in the U.S instead of 142.
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