Voter Information

• Early voting begins on September 26, 2024 at a new location -- the McHenry County Election Center, at 410 South Eastwood Drive in Woodstock (in the same shopping center as the DMV -- turn in at the Taco Bell.) 
  
  
• Then beginning October 21, 2024, early voting begins at locations around the county.  You can vote early at any of the early voting locations.
  
  
• Same-day registration and voting: You can register and vote, all in one visit, at any early-voting location.
  
  
• The last day for early voting is Monday, November 4th, the day before Election Day.

Click the image to view the full list of early voting locations and times.

Click here to check your registration or click the image below. The registration period for the online voter registration system may be closed if close or during an active election. If you are registered, the system will return your District information.  Remember, Districts changed in 2022 when districts were remapped.

Moved?  Submit a Voter Registration Change of Address Form to the McHenry County Clerk's office via email at [email protected] or by mail to:  McHenry County Clerk, 2200 N Seminary Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098

To register to vote in McHenry County:

• You must be a US citizen
• At least 18 years of age on Election Day November 5, 2024
• You must live in your precinct in McHenry County at least 30 days prior to Election Day
• You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction, and you may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

You'll need two forms of ID with at least one showing your current residence address.  Most people use their Illinois drivers license, Illinois state ID card, or passport for the first one.  See the pamphlet Registering To Vote below.

There are a variety of ways to register to vote in McHenry County: 

• online through the Illinois State Board of Elections
• when you obtain or renew your drivers license ("motor voter")
• in-person at our County Clerk's office
• by mail -- click here for the application or call the county clerk at 815-334-4242 to have one mailed to you
• directly by deputy registrars (many of our Democratic Precinct Committeepersons are trained and commissioned deputy registrars.)
• during the early-voting period, at any early-voting location
• on Election Day, at your polling place or at the new McHenry County Election Center, 410 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock.  (On Election Day, only residents of Greenwood 2, 3, 4, or 5 can register and vote at the McHenry County Administration Building at 667 Ware Road in Woodstock.)

Click the image below to begin the online voter registration process through the Illinois State Board of Elections. You'll need an active Illinois drivers license or Illinois state ID.

Register to vote in person at the Clerk's office, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.  Office of McHenry County Clerk, McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Suite 107, Woodstock IL 

During the Early Voting period, voters must register and vote in person at one of the Clerk’s designated Early Voting locations.

Individuals wishing to vote during the Early Voting must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address. Registrants must immediately cast their ballot after registering to vote.

On Election Day, you may register to vote at your home precinct or at the McHenry County Election Center.  Voters planning on registering to vote or updating their address on Election Day must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address.

Mail an application to the Clerk's office using the form here: 

Moved?  Submit a Voter Registration Change of Address Form to the McHenry County Clerk's office via email at [email protected] or by mail to: McHenry County Clerk, 2200 N Seminary Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098

Information for voters on voting registration from the Illinois State Board of Elections - click on the image for the pamphlet.

• Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. 
  
  
• As always, the polls open at 6:00 am and close at 7:00 pm.  If there's a line when the polls are closing, as long as you're in line by 7:00, you'll be able to vote.
  
  
• If voting in person on Election Day, you must vote at the polling place for your precinct, or at the McHenry County Election Center at 410 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock (turn in at the Taco Bell.)
  
  
• Look up your polling place -- here's the full list by precinct.  You can also find your polling place with the polling place locator or when you check your registration.  Note:  polling places have not changed from the March 2024 primary election.

What to expect when voting:

When it's your turn to vote, step right up to the Election Judge and tell them your name and address.  They'll look you up in their "Electronic Poll Book" system, and ask you to sign your name.  Sign your name as you did when you registered.  There should be both a Democratic and a Republican election judge checking your signature. 

Illinois law does not require you to present your ID to the Election Judges, and normally the Election Judges will only ask to see your ID if if one of the judges thinks your signature doesn't match.  If they do ask for your ID, your drivers license or Illinois state ID is best.  You don't need to bring your voter card.

Illinois has same-day registration, so if you're not registered by Election Day but still eligible to vote, you can still register and vote.  Go to your polling place and bring two forms of ID.  One form is your Illinois drivers license, Illinois state ID, or passport.  The second is a piece of mail with your address on it.

The Illinois Voter Protection Hotline is 244-990-2200.

McHenry County registered voters 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 to Vote By Mail for just this November 5, 2024 General Election
• Application for Permanent Vote By Mail -- for this election and subsequent ones until cancelled

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

You print the form, fill it in. Then, 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 must be received by the County Clerk by October 25th.

We recommend applying immediately.  If mailing the application, it's a good idea to keep a copy.

Check your voter registration. Look it up on our Are You Registered page.

Thursday, September 26th, 2024 is the first day for the Clerk's office to mail VBM ballots.  The Clerk requests allowing 5 days for the USPS to deliver your ballot.  If you expect to receive your ballot and haven't, don't hesitate to 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 the ballot, and two envelopes -- an inner envelope for the ballot, and a mailing envelope.
  
  
• To vote the ballot, make your choices -- and sign it. Then put it in the inner envelope, seal and sign the envelope.  Then put the inner envelope in the mailing envelope and seal it.
  
  
• You can now either add a first class stamp and pop the sealed mailing envelope in any US mailbox, or deposit the ballot in any McHenry County ballot dropbox.

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

Vote-by-mail ballots must be returned or postmarked no later than election day, November 5th, 2024. 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 November 5th.

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 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!

Sample ballots for the November 5, 2024 General Election are not yet available, but when they are, you can look up your sample ballot (and find your precinct) on the County Clerk's site.