News

Voting by mail? Don’t wait until the last minute

Posted February 03, 2026 5:08 pm

By Alicia Fabbre

A ballot drop box will soon be open at the DuPage County government complex in Wheaton. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

If you’re one of the many Illinois voters who plan to vote by mail, election officials have a bit of advice for you.

Don’t wait until the last minute to get those ballots in.

Thursday, Feb. 5, is the earliest ballots could start going out for those who have requested to vote by mail. However, some counties, including Cook and DuPage, may get theirs in the mail later.

The DuPage County clerk’s office has announced that vote by mail and early voting in the county may not begin until early next week. That’s because officials are waiting for rulings on unresolved candidate objections from the appellate court.

“I want to take every precaution to ensure the integrity of the ballot and protect the rights of DuPage County voters and candidates,” DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek said Tuesday in a statement.

On Tuesday, county clerk officials in Lake and Will counties said they were still scheduled to begin mailing ballots on Thursday.

Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said he is keeping an eye on cases involving Republican Tedora Brown, a candidate facing objections to her bid for the 11th Congressional District seat, and Joe Severino, a Republican facing challenges to his bid for governor.

“At this point, we're doing the best we can,” Cunningham said. “We're going to hold off until (Wednesday) to see what the court does.”

Cook County expects to begin mailing out ballots in mid-February.

Regardless of when ballots are sent, county clerks are urging voters to mail in their ballots as soon as possible due to recent changes by the U.S. Postal Service.

As a result of the postal changes, mail won’t be postmarked until it is processed, often meaning a postmark is not issued the day the mail is dropped off.

So suburban county clerks are urging residents who choose to vote by mail to submit their ballots early to ensure they are postmarked by March 17. Voters can also drop off their ballots at one of the secure drop boxes offered by their home county.

“Vote by mail is still safe and trustworthy,” said Adam Johnson, chief deputy clerk for the DuPage County clerk’s office. “Just don’t wait until the last minute.”

County clerks also remind voters to make sure they have properly filled out the ballot and that the return envelope is signed and dated.

“The USPS changes highlight why planning ahead is important, but they do not change our commitment to safeguarding every vote,” Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said in a statement. “Lake County voters can trust that our office remains dedicated to providing secure, accessible and reliable options for returning their ballots.”

Early voting is slated to begin Thursday in select locations throughout Kane, Lake, and Will counties. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald, 2022

If you decide to wait and turn in your ballot the week before the March 17 primary, officials suggest that you either use a secure drop box or go into a post office and request a postmark at the desk.

County clerks have seen a surge in vote by mail since the COVID pandemic.

“It’s really important that we have other opportunities to cast a ballot,” said Frank Herrera, communications director for the Cook County clerk’s office.

DuPage reports that it will send over 70,000 vote-by-mail ballots in its initial mailing.

In suburban Cook, more than 171,000 voters are registered for permanent vote-by-mail ballots, meaning they get a mail-in ballot each year without having to request one.

Residents who have not registered to vote by mail can still apply to receive one through their home county clerk’s office. Applications must be submitted by March 12, though voters are strongly encouraged to apply sooner if they wish to vote by mail.

As of Tuesday, early voting is scheduled to begin Thursday, Feb. 5, in select locations throughout Kane, Lake, and Will counties. More locations will be added on March 2.

In suburban Cook, early voting starts Feb. 18, and expanded locations will be added on March 2.

To learn more about early voting locations, drop box locations or vote by mail, visit your home county clerk’s website.