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Action Research Center

Titans Vote

Your vote is important and powerful!

Make a plan to vote!

Titans Vote sticker in front of Ames Library

Registered to vote? 

NOT SURE? Check your status here

YES! Great! Make a plan to vote before or on Election Day. When will you vote? Going with anyone? Voting early (see info below)?

YES but you need to change your address? Start here for IL or here for outside of IL

 

New Voter? Where will you vote?

You have the right to register and vote at either your local (IWU) or permanent (home) address. Consider which location you feel most connected to and informed about when deciding where to vote. 

NEW VOTER in IL: register to vote online via the IL Board of Elections.   If registering at IWU, students should use the mailing address of their residence hall to register. Be aware that online voter registration in Illinois ends on Oct 20 at midnight. 

NEW VOTER outside of IL: use Vote411.org or Vote.gov to get started.

 

How will you vote? Mail or In Person?

Vote by Mail 

This is a great option if you want to vote at home while being away at IWU.

To vote by mail in Illinois, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website and follow the county-specific instructions for a vote-by-mail ballot.

To vote my mail outside of Illinois, start with vote.gov  to find the election authority in your home state. 

If your mail-in ballot arrives but does not have pre-paid postage, Titan Print & Mail sells stamps.

Vote In Person: Early or on Election Day (Nov 5)

Early voting is easy, convenient, and safe option. In Bloomington (including IWU), early voting starts September 26. You can vote at Eastland Mall or at the Election Commission Office. Here's a schedule. Outside of Bloomington, find out if your election authority offers early voting by looking up your local election authority. You might be able to vote early if you plan to head home for Fall Break Day (Oct 11)!

On Election Day (Nov 5), vote in person at your polling place. If you live on campus, your polling place is the Hansen Student Center. They will be open from 6am - 7pm on Election Day. Illinois allows same-day registration on Election Day. IWU students can request a copy of their Housing Contract from ORL as proof of residence and your IWU ID should count as your photo ID. 

Beyond IWU, locate your polling place here. 

 

What's on the ballot?

The League of Women Voters Vote411.org website has personalized information about what is on your ballot based on your registered address.  LWV sends surveys directly to each candidate in the race and you can view their answers. 

What's on your ballot will depend on where you registered to vote. Go to your local election commission website to view a sample ballot. This gives you time to do your research. Remember that you do not have to vote for every category on the ballot. 

If you are in Bloomington, here is a "specimen ballot" from the Bloomington Election Commission. This Sample Ballot contains Contests from all Ballot Styles in the City of Bloomington. Your ballot will not have all of these contests listed. Refer to your voter card or other city resources in order to determine which contests will be on your ballot. (from the BEC). Here is the here is the "specimen ballot" if you live in McLean County but outside of Bloomington. 

If you are from Illinois and looking for information about judicial candidates seeking retention in office, here is a  resource from the American Bar Association.

 

At your polling place & in the booth:

Ask any election judge for help at any time! You will start by verifying your name and address. You will be given a blank ballot and directed to the voting booths. 

Here's a video of what voting machines look like in Bloomington. 

When you are done voting, an election judge will show you to the machine where you insert your ballot for tabulation. You will also get your I VOTED sticker!

 

Calendar

VOTER TIMELINE:

  • September 26: Early voting begins in Bloomington & McLean County at Eastland Mall and the Election Commission Office 
  • October 8: Last day for regular voter registration in Bloomington but you can still register online until Oct 20.
  • October 20: Last day for online voter registration in Illinois
  • Nov 5: Vote in person on Election Day at your polling place

ELECTION EVENTS:

  • September 10: Navigating Controversy:  facilitating dialogue and critical thinking in academic settings, 4-5:30 (Vinyard) – faculty development session (CETAL)
  • September 10: Presidential debate watch party (Hansen/Senate)
  • September 17: National Voter Registration Day visit our table in the Memorial Center from 10am - 2pm
  • September 17: Building Democracy:  This is Your Brain on Political Ads, 7:00-8:30pm, Joslin Atrium
  • September 26: Vice President debate watch party (Senate/OSI)
  • September 27: Voter Registration table at Sodexo Stairs 10:30am - 12:30pm
  • October 1: Building Democracy:  Engaging Conversations in a Challenging Political Environment, 7:00-8:30pm, Joslin
  • October 5: Voter Registration Table at IWU Homecoming & Family Weekend! Find our table on the Quad during the 1850 Market from 10am - 2pm.
  • October 17: Building Democracy:  Crashing the guardrails of democracy? Protecting the norms that hold us all together  7:00-8:30pm, Joslin Atrium
  • October 22: Election Misinformation and Disinformation:  AI, Deepfakes and 21st century propaganda, 4-5:30, Vinyard
  • Nov 1: Voter Registration table at the Sodexo Stairs 10am - 1:30pm.
  • November 5: Election Day
  • November 5: Election Day Watch Party 7-10pm ISU Milner Library, 3rd floor. IWU students welcome!
  • December 17: Electoral College Votes
  • January 6: Electoral Votes Formally Counted
  • January 20: Inauguration Day

Contact

I have a question that was not answered here. Who should I contact?

  • Deborah Halperin (dhalperi@iwu.edu) is on campus and can help with information and referrals
  • If you are a resident of Bloomington, contact the Board of Election Commissioners at (309) 888-5136 or  becvote@becvote.org. If you are a resident of McLean County (and not Bloomington), contact the County Clerk at (309) 888-5190 or  countyclerk@mcleancountyil.gov .