Voter Information Looking for candidates or recent election results? See our CANDIDATES page Where is my polling place? Which legislative districts do I vote in? What is Early Voting? How do I obtain and cast an absentee ballot? How and where can I register to vote? Who can register to vote in IL? When is the deadline to register? How do I register as a Democrat, specifically? What if I move after the registration deadline? How can I become an election judge? Can Independents vote on the issues, during a primary? Can Independents vote in the Democratic Primary? Can I sign petitions for candidates from multiple parties? Where can I find more voter information?   Where is my polling place? Note: If you are new to the area and unsure which precinct or township you're in, you can find out by calling or visiting the DeWitt County Clerk's office. BARNETT - Town Hall, Hallsville CLINTONIA 1 - YMCA, 417 S. Alexander St., Clinton CLINTONIA 2 - DeWitt Manor Apts, 520 E. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 3 - First Christian Church, 200 W. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 4 - First Christian Church, 200 W. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 5 - First Christian Church, 200 W. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 6 - First Chirsitan Church, 200 W. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 7 - DeWitt Manor Apts, 520 E. Main, Clinton CLINTONIA 8 - YMCA, 417 S. Alexander St., Clinton CLINTONIA 9 - YMCA, 417 S. Alexander St., Clinton CREEK -Town Hall, Lane DEWITT - Town Hall, DeWitt HARP - Town Hall, Birkbeck NIXON - Village Hall, Weldon. RUTLEDGE - Randy Dean Garage Section 21 SANTA ANNA 1 - American Legion, 755 Stensel Dr, Farmer City SANTA ANNA 2- American Legion, 755 Stensel Dr, Farmer City SANTA ANNA 3 - American Legion, 755 Stensel Dr, Farmer City TEXAS - Township Office, S. Madison St. Limits, Clinton TUNBRIDGE - Town Hall, 412 E Crosley, Kenney WAPELLA - Township Office, Wapella WAYNESVILLE - Town Hall, Waynesville WILSON - Town Hall, Section 27 The next General election will be held Tuesday Nov. 3, 2020. Polls in Illinois are open from 6am to 7pm on election day. Return to top   Which legislative districts do I vote in? U.S. Congressional District -- IL-13 (all DeWitt Co. precincts.) IL Legislative Senatorial District -- 51 (all DeWitt Co. precincts.) IL Legislative Representative District -- 101 (all DeWitt Co. precincts.) IL Judicial Circuit -- 6th (all DeWitt Co. precincts.) DeWitt Co. District A - (Barnett, Clintonia 1, 2, Tunbridge, Wapella, Waynesville) DeWitt Co. District B - (Santa Anna 1, 2, 3, Rutledge, DeWitt, Nixon, Harp, Wilson ) DeWitt Co. District C - (Texas, Creek, Clintonia 7,8,9) DeWitt Co. District D - (Clintonia 3, 4, 5, 6) Return to top   What is Early Voting? Early Voting, which was passed in 2005 and implemented with the Mar. 2006 primaries, allows Illinois voters to cast their ballots prior to Election Day without having to provide a reason or an excuse. Registered voters can vote early during the 22nd day through the 5th day preceding an election. Early Voting for 2020 November 6 General - 1st day Sept. 24, 2020. Last day Nov. 2, 2020 Early Voters in DeWitt County will cast their ballots at the County Clerk's office in the DeWitt County Courthouse (201 W. Washington St. Room 109) in Clinton, Monday through Friday, 8:30am. to 4:30pm. The County Clerk is extending early voting hours to 6pm on Monday Sept. 28, Tuesday Oct 6 and Wednesday Oct 7. Additionally, Saturday early voting will be available from 8:30am until Noon on Oct 3, 24 and 31. To cast an Early Ballot, registered voters must display a valid, government-issued photo ID (such as a Driver's License.) Once you cast an Early Ballot, you are prohibited, by law, from voting at the polls on Election Day. Votes cast during the Early Voting period will not be counted until after the polls close on Election Day. Note: Regardless of whether you are on the premises to cast an Early Ballot or to conduct business unrelated to the election, the same laws regarding campaigning, electioneering, etc., apply to Early Voter polling places in IL, throughout the entire Early Voting period, as apply to precinct polling places on Election Day. Return to top   How do I obtain and cast an absentee ballot? Please contact the County Clerk's office or refer to this PDF file for detailed information: http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/VotingInformation/PDF/absevote.pdf Return to top   How and where can I register to vote? County Clerk's Office, DeWitt County Courthouse, Clinton. When applying for services at the following facilities, you will be given the opportunity to register: Driver's License Facility Public Aid Office Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities offices Precinct Committeemen can also register you to vote. Two forms of ID are required, one must include proof of address. If you wish to register by mail, contact the County Clerk's office to receive an application. Note: The first time you vote in an election after registering by mail, you must vote in person, at your polling place or by in-person absentee ballot -- UNLESS you are in the military or disabled. Return to top   Who can register to vote in IL? You must be a U.S. citizen who, on Election Day, will be 18 or older and a resident of your precinct for at least 30 days. EXCEPTION for some 17yr. old voters: If you will be eligible to vote in the next general election but will still be 17 when primaries are held, you MAY be eligible to register to vote and to cast your ballot in the primary election! Please visit the DeWitt County Clerk's office right away to find out if you're eligible to register now so that you may participate in the primary elections! Return to top   When is the deadline to register? The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election is Oct. 6, 2020 Registration is open year round, except during the 27 days prior to any election, any Election Day and the two days following any election. New: Voter Registration Grace Period for the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election will be October 7 through Nov 3. During the grace period, voters may register, in person, in the County Clerk's office at the DeWitt County Courthouse (open M-F, 8:30a - 4:30p.) Please note: Voters who register during the grace period cannot cast early voting ballots or vote at their precinct polling places, and must, instead, either vote absentee by mail or vote in person, between 8:30am and 4:30pm on election day in the County Clerk's office at the DeWitt County Courthouse. Return to top   How do I register as a Democrat, specifically? If you are already registered, but not as a Democrat, simply request and cast a Democrat ballot in a primary election. You will be considered a registered Democrat until you pull another (national) party's ballot in a primary. (Note: Pulling a ballot in a local race primary for a party that exists only for local elections will not change your registration as a Democrat.) Return to top   What if I move or change my name after the registration deadline? If you move or change your name within 27 days of an election and you still reside in the same precinct, you may vote after filling out an affidavit (contact the County Clerk's office.). If you no longer reside in your precinct or if your move and/or name change did not occur during the 27 days immediately preceding an election, you should contact the County Clerk's office, as far in advance of the election as possible, to determine your eligibility to vote and/or what is required of you to retain your eligibility. Return to top   How can I become an election judge? Registered Democrats interested in serving as a Democratic Election Judge should contact Terry Redman, the Chairman of the DeWitt County Democrats. Your precinct committeeman (or the party Chairman, in precincts without a committeeman) will contact you about serving as an election judge during the next sign up period. Election judges attend a class at the DeWitt County Courthouse prior to the election and receive a small compensation for their service. Return to top   Can Independents vote on the issues, during a primary? Yes. If there are issues on the ballots during a primary and you do not wish to vote in either major party's primary, you can request an independent (issues-only) ballot. While we hope that, after learning more about our party and our candidates, you'll want to register and vote as a Democrat, these issues affect all of us, without regard to our political affiliations. We strongly encourage everyone in DeWitt County to take an active interest in the community and we hope you will exercise your right to be heard on these issues! If you'd like to learn more about the issues on your ballot and how they affect our community, we'd be happy to discuss them with you. Return to top   Can Independents vote in the Democratic Primary? Yes. Illinois is an open primary state. Registered voters may vote in any one party's primary. If you vote in a party's primary, you are registered with that party until you request an independent or a different party's ballot in another primary election. Return to top   Can I sign petitions of candidates from multiple parties? No. And this is one that most people don't know about. Technically, you should sign petitions only for potential candidates collecting signatures to run on your own party's ticket. But, Illinois is an open primary state, so there is a little wiggle room if you really want to help get someone across party lines get on their ballot. What's important is that once you sign a petition for a potential candidate, any additional candidates you sign to help get on the ballot in that primary or election absolutely MUST be from the same party as the first candidate you signed for. Why is this so important? A petition is a legal document. When you sign a petition to put someone on the ballot, besides just saying you want that person to appear on the ballot and that you are a registered voter who lives in a district where their name would appear on your ballot, you also legally swear or affirm that you are a member of that candidate's party (for the duration of that one primary's or election's campaign season... you're still free to pull whichever primary ballot you wish on primary or election day.) When you sign petitions for candidates from differing parties, making conflicting legally sworn or legally affirmed statements, you automatically render your signature null and void on each and every petition you signed for potential candidates in that primary and/or election. Your signature will be stricken from all of them and this can put each of those potential candidates in jeopardy of not having the number of valid signatures required to appear on the ballot. So, whenever you are asked to sign for a candidate, ask their party affiliation so that you don't accidentally void your signatures and when a candidate across party lines tells you that you can sign for anyone you want, regardless of your party, let them know they're only partially right and explain it to them. Candidates are just everyday citizens like the rest of us and some of them may not have learned about this one, yet. Return to top   Where can I find more voter information? DeWitt County Clerk's Office DeWitt County Courthouse 201 West Washington Street Room 109 Clinton, IL 61727 (217) 935-2119   Illinois State Board of Elections 1020 S. Spring St. Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: 217-782-4141 http://www.elections.il.gov Return to top