McHenry County Adds More Drop Boxes For Nov. Election

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Clerk's Office plans to have five drop boxes available for those casting their ballot once early voting opens in the coming weeks. The drop boxes will be located at the county administration building, 667 Ware Road in Woodstock; McHenry City Hall, 333 S Green Street in McHenry; McHenry Township offices, 3703 N. Richmond Road in Johnsburg; Lake in the Hills Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate in Lake in the Hills; and the Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Road in Crystal Lake.

The clerk's office originally anticipated only being able to accommodate one early voting box at the county administration building in Woodstock due to concerns over the cost of adding more and properly securing and maintaining several the boxes.

• Illinois Mail-In Voting: How To Get A Ballot, Drop Box Locations

But the additional drop boxes were added after the clerk's office's found ways to use existing equipment "in a non-traditional way to accommodate the collection of vote by mail ballots."

Clerk's offices across the Chicago area have been adding drop boxes ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election. The change comes as there has been an increased concern over how the U.S. Postal Service will handle expected record numbers of Americans voting by mail in November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent weeks, operational changes within the USPS have reportedly led to widespread mail delays, elimination of overtime for postal workers, carriers being instructed to leave mail behind and the decommissioning of mail sorting machines.

Those voting by mail are urged to cast their ballot early and before the last week before the election. Those wishing to can track their vote-by-mail ballots much like a UPS package and get alerts regarding the ballot's status.

To find out more about how to vote by mail, visit here.

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