DANVILLE – Election officials in Danville said they had to adapt to new voting laws during this year’s midterms on Tuesday.
In June, Illinois Senate Bill 825 allowed for several changes to state voting laws. One allows voters to get absentee ballots every year if they sign up just one time.
Vermillion County Supervisor of Elections Carrie Wilson said the change to the law confused some voters. Some thought they were being forced to choose to vote by mail.
But that’s not the case at all, Wilson said.
“We just explained to them, ‘You don’t have to do anything at all,’” she said.
An additional piece that impacts voters is the redistricting that occurred in Illinois, Wilson said
To try to limit confusion about the changes, she said her department posted polling maps on the Vermillion County website.
Voters moved quickly in and out of the Danville Public Library polling station–getting to the business of voting and then moving on, said Quinn Hazelbaker, an election worker at the Danville Public Library.
“Everybody’s been pretty much in and out all day,” she said. “Not a lot of talkers.
Voter turnout numbers are still being tallied, the election supervisor said. Official results are expected to be available in about two weeks.