Our team of experts is available to answer questions about voting by mail or ballot security.
“Vote-by-mail is just as safe as voting in person and it’s the same process whether it’s put in a drop box or if it’s returned by mail: Ballots are given to our early-voting department; they scan them the same as they would with the ballots from the drop box; then we have poll watchers who witness the signatures.
“It’s almost like a backup plan: You can request your mail-in ballot, and if somebody still wants to vote in person, they still can do that. That mail-in ballot becomes no longer viable.
“It works for a lot of students who are away for college, or the elderly, or quite frankly, with our weather. You may be hospitalized or you’re not able to make it out on Election Day or you may not be able to get in a car and drive. Things happen.”
— Annette Parker, Will County Clerk and former Will County board member
“Anything that improves voter turnout is a positive thing. Voting by mail is the safest way to cast a ballot for many voters, whether they are immunocompromised, have a disability, work out of state or simply want to protect the health of their community. Voting by mail should be an option for all voters.”
— Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and former candidate for Chicago mayor
“Signing up for permanent vote-by-mail is the best way to ensure my voice is heard safely and securely in every election.
“It is the only way I can guarantee that no one accidentally votes in my name. My ballot is mailed directly to my home, and once returned, it is monitored through a tracking system that I can monitor. Plus, it maintains flexibility — if I decide to vote in person, I can simply bring my mailed ballot and surrender it for an in-person ballot.
“Being on the permanent vote-by-mail list ensures I never miss an election. While we all like to think we always vote, the statistics show otherwise and people don’t show up.”
— Mark Batinick, former House Republican floor leader who represented the 97th District from 2015 to 2023
Questions?
For questions about voting by mail or ballot security, contact the voter security team at ballotsecurityteam@illinoispolicy.com.
