Peoria County election officials warn of postmark delays; urge early mailing or drop-box use

Elizabeth Gannon, director of the Peoria County Election Commission, told the Ways and Means Committee that recent changes in U.S. Postal Service processing mean ballots dropped into local mailboxes on election day may not receive an election-day postmark.

"Don't wait until the last day," Gannon said, explaining that Peoria County no longer has a local distribution center and that postal sorting has moved to facilities in Champaign or Chicago, which adds at least "24, if not 48 hours" before a ballot receives a postmark. "So if you were to drop your vote by mail ballot into a USPS then on election day, it would not receive a postmark an election day postmark."

Gannon laid out three recommendations for voters using vote-by-mail: request and return ballots early, use an Election Commission drop box, or take the ballot into a post office and ask a clerk to manually postmark the envelope. She said the county maintains three drop boxes: at the North Branch Library, the Election Commission office on Brandywine, and the Neighborhood House downtown (moved from the Civic Center).

"Second, if you are wanting to wait until very close to the election, use a drop box," Gannon said. She also described plans for voter education: the commission will coordinate press conferences with neighboring counties and amplify guidance via social media and county communications.

Committee members asked whether the Post Office could provide additional clarification and suggested bringing a postal representative to a future session. Gannon said she has a contact at the Post Office and will facilitate follow-up if members want more detail.

The commission emphasized that the underlying law governing whether a ballot can be counted has not changed: as long as a vote-by-mail envelope is postmarked by election day and received within the two weeks following the election, it can be processed. The local operational change is in how and where postmarks are applied.

The County will continue outreach in the weeks ahead to reduce confusion and encourage voters to use the drop boxes or mail early.