Casting an early vote

PRINCETON — With less than five weeks remaining before the Nov. 4 presidential election, Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus has announced some important dates for voters.

First of all, the Bureau County Clerk’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday for new or recently moved county residents to update their voter registrations and make any address changes, Hieronymus said. The final day to make any address changes on individual voter registrations, in time for the November election, is  Tuesday, she said.

Also, early voting in the county clerk’s office will begin Oct. 14. Any registered voter within Bureau County may vote an early ballot at the county clerk's office during regular hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The county clerk’s office, located within the Bureau County Courthouse in Princeton, will also be open Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to noon, for early voting. The last day for early voting is Oct. 30, Hieronymus said.

In addition to the county clerk’s office, registered voters may also vote early at the Spring Valley City Hall, starting Oct. 15. The city hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hieronymus said people do not have to be residents of either Princeton or Spring Valley to vote early at these places. They just need to be registered to vote within the county.

Also, registered voters do not need to give reasons for requesting early voting ballots, as they do with absentee ballots, Hieronymus said.

Concerning the interest already shown in early voting and absentee ballots, Hieronymus said she expected turnout for the November election to be good, probably around 65 percent of the county’s registered voters.

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