Homer Township residents voting within the Feb. 25 main will have the ability to select from certainly one of 5 native polling locations, which can be completely different from the polling place utilized in November’s presidential election.
Residents who need to vote early in individual can go to the Will County Clerk’s workplace, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, beginning Thursday.
Polling places for the Feb. 25 main mark a stark change from the final time Homer Township residents held a main in 2017. At that point, there have been 18 polling places on Election Day and early voting was obtainable at each county clerk’s workplaces in Joliet and the Homer Township Administration Center.
Will County Clerk Annette Parker, a former Republican county board member elected to clerk in November, stated her workplace approached Homer Township final month about internet hosting early voting, however officers declined.
Township Supervisor Steve Balich, who’s working for re-election, stated the township would settle for the administration heart as an early voting location provided that the county paid for it, as a result of it does not have the price range or workers to make use of the constructing for early voting.
A Republican main will probably be held in Homer Township to pick candidates for township supervisor, clerk, assessor, freeway commissioner, tax collector and 4 township trustees.
Members working for Homer Township administration embody Balich for supervisor, Clerk Vicki Bozen, Councilor Carmen J. Maurella III, Highway Commissioner Brent Alan Porfilio, Collector Rose M. Fialko and Trustees Michael G. Bonomo, Michael W. Clausen and Angel Constance Marie Shake. The solely newcomer to the record is Dominic Joseph Pacella, who’s in search of a trustee place. They are working as members of the Will County Freedom Caucus.
Incumbents are challenged by the Homer Township Reset slate. The group consists of Homer Glen Trustee Susanna E. Steilen for supervisor, Tamara “Tami” O’Brien for clerk, John S. Robinson for freeway commissioner, Sara Palermo for collector and Kenneth “Ken” Marcin, Christina “Chris” Sievers, Donald Melody and Keith D. Gray for trustees. The group has not fielded a councilor candidate.
In all however one case, the pattern card lists Freedom Caucus members first. However, in selecting town clerk, O’Brien, a member of the Reset slate, was listed in first place and Bozen, the present president, was in second place. The order is how they have been despatched to the Will County Clerk’s Office from Homer Township, Parker stated.
On Election Day, residents can vote on the Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church, 14610 S. Will Cook Road, Homer Glen; Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, 14719 W. 163rd St., Homer Glen; the Lockport Township Building, 1463 S. Farrell Road, Lockport; Northwest Homer Fire Station 1, 16152 W. 143rd St., Lockport; and Parker Road Bible Church, 18512 S. Parker Road, Mokena.
The places have been chosen as a result of they hit all 4 corners of the township and embody a central location, Parker stated.
The county’s newly bought voting tools permits for a diminished variety of polling locations and residents can go wherever they need, Parker stated. The tools now gives on-demand poll printing, which reduces waste and saves cash, Parker stated.
The county’s election tools can be being ready for the April 1 election, which will probably be held countywide, he stated.
The solely Will County main held in February will probably be in Homer Township and the multi-county metropolis of Aurora.
Steilen stated she was involved that the small variety of polling locations would trigger confusion amongst residents. He stated he hopes the Homer Township Library, the Homer Township Administration Center or the Homer Glen Village Hall will probably be a location for Election Day voting as a result of these places are higher recognized to residents.
Steilen stated she was additionally involved that seniors, who prefer to vote early, wouldn’t have the chance to vote on the Homer Township Administration Building. He stated winter climate on Feb. 25 may very well be an element for a lot of voters, and seniors like having the choice to vote early on a day when unhealthy climate situations aren’t an element.
“This is very regarding for older adults who’ve issue getting exterior,” he stated.
Balich stated the drive to Joliet for early voting solely takes about 5 to 10 minutes longer than the drive to the Homer Township administration constructing, relying on the place township residents reside.
He stated residents can even vote by mail or vote on Election Day.
Many Homer Township residents have additionally traditionally used the Lockport Township administration constructing to vote in different elections as a result of college districts have overlapped with township boundaries, Balich stated.
Parker stated the county will publish indicators at polling locations that aren’t in use in the course of the main to inform voters of the 5 places the place they will vote on Election Day. Residents will even obtain emails informing them of the election modifications, he stated.
About 5% of Homer Township voters solid ballots within the 2017 main.
For the April 1 elections, regular polling stations will resume.
Michelle Mullins is a contract reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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