Ahead of the March 17 primary, the ballots are taking shape.
Three referendums will greet McHenry County voters, one of which is countywide.
Voters countywide will be asked a nonbinding question about whether Illinois should opt in to a federal scholarship tax credit program. The McHenry County Board approved a measure to place that question before the voters, and other counties in Illinois also will have an advisory referendum on the matter.
In Hebron Township, the road district is asking voters if it can issue $2 million in bonds for road purposes.
In the Fox Lake Fire Protection District, which is predominantly in Lake County but includes some portions of far northeastern McHenry County, voters will be asked whether to approve a new property tax to go toward the district’s pension fund. According to referendum language from the McHenry County Clerk’s Office, the estimated increase to a property with a home with a $100,000 fair market value would be $20 this levy year.
In addition to referendums, people who pull a party ballot can vote on candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as state and county offices. In McHenry County, four countywide offices and half the County Board are up for reelection.
All of McHenry County’s countywide officeholders who are up for reelection – including Sheriff Robb Tadelman, Treasurer Donna Kurtz, Regional Superintendent of Schools Diana Hartmann and Clerk Joe Tirio – are running for another term. All are Republicans.
Eight of the nine County Board members up for reelection are seeking another term. The exception is Michael Skala, a Huntley Republican who is not running for reelection.
Voters are able to ask for a mail ballot for the March 17 primary, and early voting has started at the McHenry County Election Center, 410 S. Eastwood Drive in Woodstock. Early voting expands to other locations starting March 2. A full list of early voting locations is available online.
People can then fill out the form, print it, and sign it. They can scan the form and email it to votebymail@mchenrycountyil.gov, or they can mail the form to the McHenry County Clerk’s Office, Attn: Vote by Mail Dept., 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098.
Voters can ask for a mail-in ballot for just the March 17 primary or for all elections going forward.
When they’re done with their ballot, people can stick it back in the mail or in a dropbox. Some early-voting locations have a dropbox, but voters who change their mind about the mail-in ballot can surrender it at the polls and vote in person.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day and must arrived in the clerk’s office within two weeks of election day. Officials have warned people to mail in their ballots early because of changes in how the postal service postmarks mail.