Monday, October 4, 2010

The Last Day to Register to Vote for the November Election is October 5, 2010

The following information is for anyone who needs to register to vote; needs to change his/her name on his/her voter registration card; whohas moved and needs to register to vote at his/her new address; who needs to vote absentee; interested in early voting,or would like to be an election judge. The following information is from the Chicago Board of Elections website http://www.chicagoelections.com/:

Voter Registration

To register to vote, you must:
-- be a U.S. citizen;
-- be at least 18 years of age by election day;
-- live in your precinct at least 30 days before the election;
-- not be in prison/jail serving time for a conviction; and,
-- not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

In Chicago, voters may register or change the address or name on their registrations:

-- by submitting this mail-in form to register / file a change of address/ file a change of name.
-- in person at 69 W. Washington St., Sixth Floor.
-- at any Secretary of State's office where driver's licenses and state IDs are issued.
-- through an active deputy registrar affiliated with a local organization, such as a political party, ward office, business, etc.

After the form is processed, we will mail a new voter card.

Tues., Oct. 5, 2010 is the deadline to register to be eligible to cast a ballot in the Nov. 2, 2010 General Election.

Early Voting

On Monday, October 11, Columbus Day, Early Voting will be offered only at these three locations:
-- 69 W. Washington St., Lower Level, 9 am - 5 pm
-- 22nd District Police, 1900 W. Monterey, 9 am - 5 pm
-- Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside, 9 am - 5 pm

All other Chicago Early Voting sites will open Tuesday, October 12.

By law, Early Voting for this election will end Thursday, October 28.
Go to the Board of Elections website for more information about early voting.

Absentee Ballot Application for the Nov. 2, 2010 General Election

By law, the first day that voters may apply to cast an absentee ballot is Sept. 23, 2010. By law, voters cannot submit applications by fax or email unless the voter is in the military or living overseas.

The following provides information on absentee voting for persons who choose to vote by mail.

What is Absentee Voting?

Voters are allowed to cast their ballots prior to Election Day -- either in person at an Early Voting site or by mail through Absentee Voting.

Who Qualifies for Absentee Voting?

All persons registered to vote in Chicago are eligible to cast absentee ballots. The voter must file a completed and signed request for an absentee ballot by the legal deadline.

- Applications from voters in the United States must be received at the Election Board by close of business on Oct. 28. NOTE: Original forms must be submitted by mail, certified courier or in person. Forms from civilians in the United States cannot be accepted by email.

- Applications from military and civilians overseas must be received at the Election Board by close of business on Oct. 22.

Go to the Board of Elections website to download an absentee ballot and see frequently asked questions regarding absentee ballots.

Become a Judge of Election

What are Judges of Election?

Judges of election are the officials who are responsible for the conduct of the election in the precinct polling place. The judges of election are the backbone of the electoral process. Their jobs are challenging, interesting and personally rewarding.

In each precinct, the judges share in responsibilities, duties and authorities that include:

(1) Opening the polling place and setting up voting equipment at 5 a.m. on Election Day;
(2) Conducting a fair and impartial election in the precinct polling place, allowing voting from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
(3) Tabulating the vote totals for the precinct and transmitting them to Election Central after the polls close at 7 p.m.

The Judge of Election application for the term that ends with the 2012 Primary is available here. (NOTE: This form may not be used for those participating in the High School Student Judge program. See instructions on that program below.)

Be sure to include your:

-- Name
-- Home Address
-- City/State/ZIP
-- Phone
-- Home Ward

The Democratic or Republican committeeperson in each ward has the ability to assign qualified judges for their respective parties for each precinct in that ward. Judge of Election applications without the signature of a committeeperson will be considered: (1) if there are vacancies not filled by the local committeeperson; (2) if the prospective Judge of Election is willing to work in another precinct if all of the judge positions are filled in his or her home precinct.

Mail completed forms to:

ATTN: JUDGES DEPARTMENT
CHICAGO ELECTION BOARD
69 W WASHINGTON ST STE 600
CHICAGO IL 60602-3006

Salary

Judges of Election are paid $170 only upon completion of training and service on Election Day.

Extra compensation is also paid to judges who:

--­ Pick up the Election Judge key envelope on either the Saturday or Sunday prior to Election Day;
-- ­Allow the use of the judge's cell phone (by all judges within the polling place) on Election Day;
--­ Return the election materials to a receiving station on election night (to be determined by all judges on Election Day.)

Training & Materials

The Judge of Election Handbook for the Nov. 2, 2010 General Election will be available at training sessions. The contents of the handbook are also available here: (You need to go to the Board of Elections website to download this information.

What's New For This Election / Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Voting Equipment
Chapter 2. Important Information About Judges of Election
Chapter 3. Who's Allowed in the Polling Place
Chapter 4. Check Election Supplies/List of Supplies/Illustration of Supply Carrier
Chapter 5. Setting Up the Polling Place
Chapter 6. During Voting Hours: Who May Vote; Provisional Ballots; Issuing Ballot Scan Ballots; Issuing Provisional Ballots; Issuing Touchscreen Voter Cards; Split Precinct Instructions; Spoiled Ballot Procedure; Assistance for Voters with Disabilities
Chapter 7. Closing the Polls
Election Terms
Forms Index
Troubleshooting Instructions. Ballot Scanner; Touchscreen Voting Unit; Voter Card Activator; Emergency Ballot Scanner Instructions
Index

High School & College Student Judges of Election

The Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago is proud to lead the United States in hiring high school and college students to serve as judges and to provide technical support. In the 2008 elections, more than 4,500 students helped administer elections in Chicago.

High School and College Student Judges of Election hold the same responsibilities and receive the same pay as other Judges of Election. Students may begin to serve as early as their junior year in high school, even before they are registered to vote, so long as they have a 3.0 grade-point average, sign-off from a parent/guardian and sign-off from a principal/college advisor.

Go to the Board of Elections website for more information on Judges of Election and High School and College Student Judges of Election.

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