The Will County Clerk’s Office has announced the locations for ballot drop boxes that will be used for the March 17 primary election.

Mail-in ballots will be going out Feb. 5, and the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Thursday, March 12.

The county has added a new drop box location in New Lenox, bringing the total of secure drop boxes for mail-in ballots to 10.

County Clerk Annette Parker noted that due to ongoing construction at the Joliet Public Library’s Black Road Branch, that box has been moved for the March election to the Silver Cross Professional Building on Essington Road. The library box location will return in November for the general election.

“Ballot drop boxes are strategically placed throughout Will County to serve voters in every region,” Parker’s office said in a news release announcing the changes.

The Will County drop boxes for the March 17 primary are:

• Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet
• Fountaindale Public Library, 300 W. Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook
• Frankfort Public Library, 21119 S. Pfeiffer Road, Frankfort
• Governors State University, Main Building, 1 University Parkway, University Park
• Naperville 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Drive, Naperville
• New Lenox Village Hall, 1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox
• Plainfield Public Library, 15025 S. Illinois St., Plainfield
• Silver Cross Professional Building, 1051 Essington Road, Joliet
• White Oak Library, 121 E. Eighth St., Lockport
• Wilmington Public Library, 201 S. Kankakee St., Wilmington

All drop box locations are indoors at their designated buildings and are subject to operating hours except for the Will County Office Building. That box is located outside the main doors and is available for 24/7 drop-offs and drive-up drop-offs.

Residents are advised that the area will be under constant video surveillance to ensure ballot security, the clerk’s office said.

Drop box availability

All drop boxes will be available starting Monday, Feb. 9, and will remain available until noon Monday, March 16.

Once again, the Will County Office Building box is an exception. The outdoor box will become available starting Thursday, Feb. 5, and will remain open until polls close at 7 p.m. on election day.

Boxes will be emptied each day by trained election representatives and immediately will be taken to the Will County Clerk’s Office, according to the release.

“Secure ballot drop box locations give voters a safe, convenient and reliable way to return their vote-by-mail ballots,” Parker said in a statement. “My goal is to ensure every voter knows where and how they can participate in our elections with confidence. These secure drop boxes provide voters with flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the election process.”

Mail-in ballots

Voters can apply for a mail-in ballot on the Will County Clerk’s Office website. To receive a mail-in ballot for the primary election, voters also must designate a political party.

Voters are reminded to follow the instructions on their mail-in packet before returning their completed ballots.

In addition to the secure drop boxes, voters may return their ballots via U.S. mail or by dropping them off in person at the Will County Clerk’s Office, 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet.

All mail-in ballots submitted through the U.S. Postal Service must be postmarked by March 17 to be counted.