By Mary Sisk
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Today is the first day to vote early in the November election, and local lawmakers are urging voters to take advantage of that by casting ballots in person or through the new permanent vote-by-mail option.
The state’s new vote-by-mail law has allowed registered voters to request permanent mail-in status since Aug. 10.
State Sen. Steve Stadelman, state Rep. Maurice West and state Rep. Dave Vella hope the permanent vote-by-mail law will benefit people who struggle to vote in person.
“I’m honored to have been the chief sponsor of Illinois’ voter empowerment legislation, making it more accessible to vote,” West said during a news conference Thursday outside the Rockford Board of Elections Office. “We prioritize voting accessibility for the disability community, our seniors and anyone who is unable to easily access a voting place.”
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Eric Brown, systems advocacy coordinator for the RAMP center for independent living, says that this legislature will help give people with disabilities a voice in elections.
“Allowing someone to vote from home, in a way that is most accessible for them, is going to eliminate barriers and give people more voice,” Brown said. “It says to people we value your vote as a resident of our state and we understand that there may be barriers to access for you to get to your polling place.”
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The next election here is slated for Nov. 8, and Vella is hopeful this resource will encourage more voter turnout.
In the primary election in June, there were about 14,700 ballots cast in the city for a turnout of 17.5% of registered voters in Rockford. Turnout was nearly 63% during the November 2020 election that included the U.S. presidential race.
“Our goal should be 100% participation,” Vella said. “It’s harder and harder to get to the polling place. Also, we recognize its hard for different groups to get to the polling places, so everything we can do to make it easier to vote in a safe way, the better.”
This article is by Mary Sisk. Email her at msisk@rockrivercurrent.com or follow her on Instagram at @maryrrcurrent