How Many People took Advantage of Day No. 1 of Early Voting?

Day No. 1 of early voting captured the attention of 200-plus voters at the Village Hall, 1 Veterans Parkway.

Apparently last night's third and final presidential debate was not meant to be a deciding factor for the crowds of people who already cast a vote for their choice of president—President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney.

Laura Ruhl, village clerk, said she had a steady line of people throughout the day. The final two weeks of political ads and intense coverage of the issues is lost on the 200-plus voters who made their way to the Village Hall to exercise their right to vote.

Early voting is available at the New Lenox Township Building, 1100 S. Cedar Road.

While there is no way to predict the number of people who will take advantage of early voting, which runs through Nov. 4, it's certain to lighten the crowd on Nov. 6.

To find where you vote and who's on your ballot, go to the County Clerk's precinct finder. Patch's 2012 Voter Guide.

Absentee voting procedures

The Will County Clerk is currently accepting requests for absentee ballots by mail for the General Election.   

Registered voters can request an absentee ballot online at the Will County Clerk's website or by calling the office at (815) 740-4632 or (815) 774-6367. The Will County Clerk's Office will need the voter's name, residence address, mailing address and date of birth at the time of request.

The law stipulates that the clerk's office can mail ballots until Thursday, Nov. 1.

In-person absentee voters still have one day left to cast a ballot. On Nov. 5, they can to the County Clerk’s Office, 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For those serving in the military, the last day to mail ballots is Oct. 29, according the Will County Clerk's Office website. The Will County Clerk also assists those whose handicaps prevent them from traditional polling place voting, including Permanently Disabled Absentee Voting Program, Licensed Nursing Home Residents, Voters Admitted to Hospital, Nursing Home or Rehabilitation Center and Curbside Voting.

According to the website, the Will County Clerk facilitates "grace period voting" for those "who were unable to register to vote or change their address prior to the close of registration (28 days prior to an election)."

For those who have recently moved and fall into that grace period category, it's possible to vote "until the third day prior to and election at the Will County Clerk’s Office, which is open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Two forms of identification are required to register:

• At least one of the two forms must show your name and current address,
• And only one form of identification may be a piece of mail addressed and delivered to you.

Which issues are most important to you in the 2012 election? Tell us in the comments.

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