As letters and emails begin going out to Lake County voters this week, informing them of the right under Illinois law to permanently receive a vote-by-mail ballot, one political leader has concerns about a method of voting gaining in popularity.
Spurred by an increase of votes cast by mail in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov J.B. Pritzker signed a law in 2021 requiring election authorities like the Lake County Clerk’s Office to allow voters to permanently request a vote-by-mail ballot.
Voters began receiving letters or emails Wednesday across Lake County giving them the opportunity to complete an application to permanently receive ballots in the mail for all elections.
County Clerk Anthony Vega said the number of people voting by mail has continued to increase with each election cycle, and he anticipates the trend to continue with the Nov. 5 election.
“It’s super-convenient,” Vega said. “People can do their research at their leisure, and return the ballot several ways — in person, in a drop box and by mail.”
Keith Brin, the Lake County Republican Central Committee chair, said allowing people to permanently request a mail ballot creates the potential for fraud. For example, he said, someone could move, another individual could make the residence their home and get a ballot not intended for them.
“There’s tremendous concern for fraud,” Brin said. “It’s a real ballot. People are not quick to report a change of address for voting. The ballot could be sent to the address of a voter who no longer lives there.”
Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash is not concerned about fraud. She said vote-by-mail ballots must be signed by the voter before it is sent back to the clerk’s office. It is verified there.
“A voter’s signature is checked carefully to see it matches the record on file,” Gash said. “That’s true for both voting by mail and voting in person. Voting by mail is no more of a concern than voting in person for this reason.”
Vega said every ballot returned to his office by mail is checked by two election judges — a Republican and a Democrat. The signature on the ballot must match the one used when the voter registered.
“It’s checked for a discrepancy before the ballot is certified,” he said. If a signature is questioned, he said, “The voter must come in and cure the ballot for it to be cast.”
Individuals who want to permanently vote by mail can complete the application. Vega said it is included in the mailing. It can also be downloaded from the clerk’s website. Since the law requires the notice must be sent every two years, people can also opt-out.
Once a voter requests permanent status, they will continue to receive vote-by-mail ballots until they choose to opt-out. Vega said ballots this year will be mailed on Sept. 26, the same day early voting starts at the clerk’s office in Waukegan.
With voting by mail now an integral part of election campaigns, both Gash and Brin said it is important to let voters know all their options for voting when contacting them.
“Lake County Democrats make sure everyone eligible to vote knows about it,” Gash said. “Our democracy depends on it. Lake County Democrats have encouraged voting by mail for many years.”
“Ever since COVID, people are finding new ways of doing business in a lot of areas, like working remotely or voting by mail,” Brin said. “We encourage people to vote for our candidates in whatever way is best for them, including voting by mail.”
