By Chirs Hotchkin
The Primary Election will be held June 28. However, early voting and mail in voting has already started. As Precinct Committeepersons, our number one job is to get as many Democratic voters to the polls as we can. Here are things we should be doing to get out the Democratic vote:
- Get a list of the Democratic households in your precinct. You can get a list from Sue Sitton in the office or print one off yourself on Votebuilder.
- Compose a letter to your voters explaining the various ways that they can vote in this election (see below) and why it is important to vote. You can print this letter in our office.
- Hand-deliver this letter, along with any campaign literature you wish to deliver, to each Democratic household. The best way to do this is to ring the doorbell and talk to the voters in the household. Ask them how they plan to vote in this Primary Election. If they do not answer their door, you can leave a packet on their door or doormat. There are plastic bags in the office you can use to create packets that include your letter and campaign literature.
- If you cannot hand-deliver the letter, either because you have a lot of apartments in your precinct or you are not able to walk door to door, you can mail your letter. You will need to provide the postage yourself.
- A few days prior to Election Day, June 28, find out who of your Democratic voters has already voted. Our office should be able to provide that information to you. Contact those Democratic voters who have not already voted and remind them about Election Day. We can now vote in any polling location in DuPage County on Election Day, but you might want to remind them of the polling place designated for your precinct, as it might be most convenient for the voters.
Here are the ways that a voter may vote in this Primary Election:
Vote by Mail: Voters can request a Vote by Mail ballot on the DuPage Elections website. The last day that a ballot will be mailed to them will be five days prior to the election. We are now able to sign up for Permanent Vote by Mail so that the voter will automatically receive a Vote by Mail ballot each election. If any voter requests a Vote by Mail ballot or Permanent Vote by Mail status, they will not be allowed to vote in a polling place unless they bring their Vote by Mail ballot with them, along with the return envelope.
Early Voting: Is going on now at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. Early Voting at Temporary Early Voting locations will start 15 days before the election (June 13) and will end on June 25. There are a number of Early Voting locations in our township, including the Downers Grove Village Hall, the Hinsdale Village Hall, Westview Hills Middle School, and St. Mark’s Coptic Church in Burr Ridge. Early Voting locations are open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays (no voting on Sundays).
Vote in person on Election Day, June 28: A voter may vote in any polling place in DuPage County, not just the polling place for their precinct. The polls are open 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.