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Lake County clerk warns voters about new USPS postmarking rules, urges early returns and drop‑box use
Summary
County Clerk Anthony Vega told the committee that USPS postmarking now happens at processing facilities (Carol Stream for Lake County), that extraordinary election‑mail measures will apply only to November, and that voters should return ballots early, use drop boxes or request manual postmarks.
Anthony Vega, Lake County clerk, briefed the Financial & Administrative Committee on Jan. 1 USPS changes that took effect Jan. 1 and that will affect vote‑by‑mail processing. "Post pieces of mail are now being postmarked at the processing facility," Vega said, and he identified the county’s processing facility as Carol Stream.
Vega said Illinois is a postmark state: ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks after Election Day may be counted. He warned that the Postal Service has reduced some retail pickups and will only apply extraordinary election‑mail measures for November general elections, not for primaries or municipal elections. "That does complicate matters a little bit," he said, and advised voters not to wait to return ballots.
His office recommended three options for voters returning ballots within a week of Election Day: use an official drop box, go to a USPS retail location and request a manual postmark, or walk the ballot into an early voting site and surrender the vote‑by‑mail ballot. He also urged voters to sign up for ballot‑track notifications and said the clerk’s office will notify those who have signed up two weeks before Election Day.
Vega addressed security concerns for drop boxes, noting the county placed boxes on county property so they are under 24‑hour surveillance and that extra patrols can be requested from the sheriff’s office. He said the county deploys 18 early‑voting sites countywide during early voting. Committee members asked for additional public‑education outreach; Vega said the clerk’s office is updating mailed instructions and plans additional messaging.
Vega said clerks statewide raised concerns with USPS and that Illinois clerks are pursuing bipartisan congressional outreach on the issue.
