Early Voting Opens for March 17 Primary

Early voting and vote-by-mail for the March 17 Primary Election began February 5th, giving Sangamon County voters multiple opportunities to cast ballots ahead of Election Day. Don Gray announced that registered voters may begin voting in person or by mail, with expanded hours and weekend availability in the weeks leading up to the election.

In-person early voting is offered at the Sangamon County Election Office, located on the first floor of the County Complex at 200 S. Ninth Street in Springfield. Regular weekday hours run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through March 6, with additional hours scheduled on Lincoln’s Birthday and Presidents Day, select Saturdays, Sundays, and extended evening hours from March 9 through March 13. The Election Office will also be open the weekend immediately before Election Day and on Monday, March 16, until 7 p.m.

A temporary early voting site will also operate at the University of Illinois Springfield Student Union for voters in designated precincts, with limited daytime and early-evening hours during the final two weeks of early voting.

Vote-by-mail ballots are being sent to voters who requested them or who are enrolled in the permanent vote-by-mail program. Voters may return ballots by mail, through secure ballot drop boxes at the County Complex and the Sangamon County Juvenile/Regional Office of Education, or by hand delivery to the Election Office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 14 days, with the U.S. Postal Service recommending voters mail ballots by March 10.

The March 17 primary ballot includes several high-profile races at the state and local level, along with a countywide referendum. At the statewide level, voters will weigh in on contested primaries for Illinois governor and for an open U.S. Senate seat. 

At the top of the ballot, Illinois voters will also weigh in on the primary race for governor. On the Democratic side, incumbent J.B. Pritzker is seeking another term after first being elected in 2018, following a career in business and philanthropy and a tenure focused on fiscal stability, infrastructure investment, and statewide economic development. The Republican primary features a field of candidates with varied backgrounds, including former state senator Darren Bailey, a southern Illinois farmer who previously ran for governor in 2022 and served multiple terms in the Illinois Senate; Ted Dabrowski, a longtime fiscal policy analyst and nonprofit leader known for his work on government accountability and budget reform; Rick Heidner, a businessman running on his private-sector experience outside of elected office; and James Mendrick, the DuPage County sheriff since 2018 with decades of experience in law enforcement. Republican voters will select their nominee in the primary to challenge Pritzker in the November general election.

Voters will also cast ballots in the primary race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime incumbent Dick Durbin, who announced he will not seek re-election after more than two decades in office. The open seat has drawn a crowded field, particularly on the Democratic side, where candidates include Juliana Stratton, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2019 after previously representing Chicago in the Illinois House; Raja Krishnamoorthi, a member of Congress representing Illinois’ 8th District with a background in law, public policy, and national security oversight; and Robin Kelly, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District and has served in both Congress and the Illinois General Assembly. Republican voters will also choose a nominee in the primary, as the party fields candidates seeking to compete for the open Senate seat in the general election.

Locally, Sangamon County voters participating in the Republican primary will decide the party’s nominee for sheriff, as incumbent Paula Crouch faces former sheriff’s deputy David Timm. Crouch, who was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office, is seeking election with the endorsement of the Sangamon County Republican Party, along with backing from former Sangamon County Sheriffs Neil Williamson and Jack Campbell, as well as Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser. Timm, a former deputy with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, is campaigning as a challenger emphasizing his law enforcement

background and support from Police Union leaders. Timm was fired by Sheriff Williamson in 2008 following a verbal altercation with a fellow law enforcement officer. The winner of the Republican primary will advance to the general election to face Marc Bell, the Democratic nominee for sheriff.

In addition to partisan contests, all countywide voters will see a binding referendum asking whether to establish a Sangamon County Mental Health Board funded through a proposed one-half percent local sales tax. The question on the ballot asks whether the county should be authorized to increase its share of local sales taxes by 0.5 percent, equal to 50 cents on every $100 of taxable retail purchases. The measure would not apply to groceries or medicine.

If approved, the board would oversee dedicated funding for mental health treatment, substance use services, crisis response, and developmental disability programs, with funds required by law to remain in Sangamon County and be used solely for mental health-related purposes. The County Board placed the referendum on the ballot following a study by a mental health commission that identified gaps in services and coordination across the community.

Voters who do not wish to declare a political party may still participate in the election by requesting a nonpartisan ballot, which includes only public questions such as the mental health referendum. Election officials emphasize that party affiliation is not required to vote on questions of public policy.

Additional information about early voting hours, vote-by-mail options, and ballot access is available through the Sangamon County Clerk’s Office or at the county clerk’s website.