Frequently Asked Questions

How do I Vote by Mail?

Updated 04/29/2026

1. For the 2026 Primary Election, the McLean County Auditor's office will mail each active voter in the county a mail ballot application in April 2026.
2. If a voter wishes to participate in this election, they must complete the application, sign it on the signature line, seal it, and return the ballot application to the County Auditor. Once the County Auditor receives the completed and signed application, a ballot for the voter’s specific precinct will be sent to them.
3. The voter may then complete their ballot at home, taking whatever time they need to review the questions. After voting, the voter should place the ballot in the secrecy envelope, seal the secrecy envelope, and then place it inside the pre‑addressed return envelope. The voter may return the ballot to the County Auditor by mail or deliver it in person at any time before poll closing on Election Day.
4. When the ballot is returned, the County Auditor checks that all required signatures are present on the return envelope (legal affidavit), attaches the application to the envelope, and organizes the sealed return envelopes for counting by the Absentee Election Board.
5. The Absentee Election Board includes at least two clerks, an inspector appointed by the county, and at least four judges appointed by the political parties. The Board will compare signatures on envelopes and applications, open envelopes in a secure and confidential manner, and count ballots using an electronic scanning device. To protect ballot secrecy, each voted ballot remains inside a secrecy envelope placed within the return envelope, ensuring that individuals opening the return envelopes never see how a voter marked their ballot. Ballots are processed in anonymous groups of predetermined size.