The Rock Island County Clerk’s office will stay open until 8 p.m. on weeknights for early voting starting on Monday, Oct. 19.
County Clerk Karen Kinney said this will go until November 2. Kinney said there are record numbers for early voting this year and the extra hours will provide more opportunities for voters to cast their ballot. The county clerk’s office will be open for early voting on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31 and on Sundays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.
They will also open an early voting location at Western Illinois University in Moline.
Voters can vote early at the WIU campus starting on Monday, Oct. 19 until Friday, Oct. 30. This will be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. “Due to COVID, we are asking voters at all our voting facilities to please wear a mask and keep a distance of 6 feet between each voter,” Kinney said in a release.
Election judges at each location will keep machines and surfaces sanitized to protect against COVID.
Voters who previously requested a vote by mail ballot but now wish to vote in person will need to surrender their ballot to election judges first before being allowed to switch to early voting.
At each early voting location, individuals who need to register to vote for the first time or update her or his name or address information can take advantage of the grace period registration & voting. Under the grace period, individuals will need to provide two forms of ID with current name & address listed, and vote at the same time.
More information on voter registration and voting is available at www.votericounty.org or by calling the Rock Island County Clerk’s Election Hotline at 786-VOTE (309-786-8683).
All visitors to the County Clerk’s Office will need to pass through the security checkpoint at the main entrance. Additionally, due to COVID-19, all visitors to the building must wear a face mask that covers their nose & mouth. Parking is available for limited times on the street in front of the building, or for free in the parking ramp one block east of the building.