College of Complexes Lecture Notes:
What We Can Do to Protect the Election in November
PLEASE PROTECT YOUR VOTE AND HELP YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS DO THE SAME
The Nov 3rd Presidential / General election is rapidly approaching, do you have a plan to vote?
There are 5 steps to protecting your vote – here is a great voters guide that walks you through the
entire voting process with accurate info for every state: https://2020voterscalendar.org
Step 1: Check Your Voter Registration online:
In IL check, change, or correct your voter registration here: https://ova.elections.il.gov/
In other states please refer people to this website, which does not gather their data, with links to all of
the election divisions: https://2020voterscalendar.org
Step 2: Make a plan on how you will vote:
- In-Person Voting during Early Voting and on Election Day has been made much safer with face
masks required, distancing, and sanitizing. Illinois has made Election Day a state holiday, so schools will
be closed and most state government employees will have the day off to vote. For private employers,
Illinois provides workers with 2 paid hours to vote, provide notice to you employer to take the time off.
We recommend that you check with your local election division for the hours of Early Voting, or where
your Election Day precinct will be located, these details may have changed this year. In IL there is
curbside voting offered on Election Day for people who do not want to leave their cars, contact your
local election division to schedule this option:
- Voting By Mail is an option for all voters in IL, but we ask that you apply for your Vote By Mail ballot
now, Oct. 29 is the deadline – there is an online application at the websites of each local election
division, such as Chicago: https://chicagoelections.gov/en/vote-by-mail.html
To download a paper version of the application you may go to the IL State Board of Elections Vote By
Or apply via the application that most voters received in the mail a couple of weeks ago.
However you apply, please fill out the information accurately and start the process now!
Most election divisions will be mailing the ballots during the last week of Sept or first week of Oct –
please watch for your ballots in the mail. Call your local election division if you do not receive your ballot
Please vote your ballot as soon as you get it, use the correct pen, follow all of the directions carefully, fill
in your voting choices completely, and avoid making extraneous marks on your ballot. Sign the outside
envelope with the signature that you use in the polling places, and make sure to close the envelope.
You have several options for returning your Vote By Mail ballot:
- If you are returning your ballot early then posting it in the mail is a good option, it has postage paid.
We recommend you place your ballot in the mail at your local post office.
- If you have not mailed your ballot before 10/19 then please place your ballot in one of the secure
ballot drop boxes that will be placed in Early Voting centers from Oct 19–Nov 2, there will be a no-wait
area for ballot drop off - please wear your face masks. These drop boxes are secured and manned by
the election divisions, when you drop your ballot off it starts being processed sooner - check for hours
Step 3: If You See Something, Say Something:
If anyone you know encounters any difficulties with voting this year please say something, call your
election division: https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionAuthorities.aspx
or call 1-866-Our-Vote (1-866-687-8683), which is an established election protection coalition manned
by election specialists to help answer your questions or solve your voting problems.
Clean Count Cook County, a local, non-partisan, election integrity group, wants to hear from you if
you encounter problems in Chgo or Cook County, email us at cleancountcookcounty@gmail.com
or post on our FB page.
Step 4: Election Judges are critical to protecting the right to vote - we are asking our youth
to step forward this election.
With precautions we can manage our in-person voting safely, but we need our youth to step forward
and sign up to be an Election Judges, which are a compensated position, and either appointed by the
local election division, or upon the recommendation of local political party officials.
In order to be eligible to be appointed as an Election Judge, you must be:
* A U.S. Citizen - At least 16 years old by election day, November 3, 2020 - If you are at least 18 years
old, you must be a registered voter at your current address in which you reside - Able to speak, read
and write English (ability to speak, read, or write other languages is a plus as well).
You may apply to be an Election Judge directly with your local election division such as the Chicago
Board of Elections or Clerk of Cook County:
Or you can apply through a political party such as the IL Democrats:
To contact the IL GOP, email info@illinois.gop
If you don't have a full day to devote to being an Election Judge, then you can still help
protect our elections in IL by volunteering to be a poll watcher for either political party.
To train with the Democratic Party contact Mark Von Nida, current Madison County Circuit Clerk,
for training for Democratic Election Judges, Poll Watchers, & Democratic County Clerks.
Become a part of the 2020 IDCCA Election Integrity Project. Contact them at
info@ILDCCA.org to get hooked up.
To train with the Republican Party: contact the IL GOP by email info@illinois.gop
To help to work to flip the US Senate for the Democrats, and provide voters in other key
states info about voting go here:
Step 5: www.ProtectTheResults.com – please go to this site to pledge to get in the streets
in peaceful protest if allies of the President try to manipulate the results, or slow the ballot
counting – our democracy is at risk, please stand up!
Thank you for protecting your vote and our democracy, www.CleanCountCookCounty.org
