Polling Places Changed Due To COVID-19 Concerns: Will Co. Clerk

This article was updated at 2:44 a.m. on March 17 to reflect new information from the Will County Clerk's Office

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Clerk's Office announced today, March 12, that many of its polling places throughout the county will be relocated for election day. The polls changing location are located inside retirement homes and schools, and those institutions told the county they did not want to risk vulnerable residents being exposed to possible COVID-19 infection.

"These are retirement homes that called [March 11] and this morning with regards to concern about the potential spread of coronavirus to a vulnerable population of senior citizens," County Clerk's Chief of Staff Charles Pelkie said. "They live in close quarters in these retirement homes and sometimes the polling places are in main areas."

The changing polling locations are as follows:

• Elwood School, Jackson Precinct 02 – Moving to Elwood Village Hall, 401 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood;
• Joshua Arms, Joliet Precinct 35 - Moving to Nowell Park 199 Mills Road, Joliet;
• Lincolnway Special Recreation Center, New Lenox Precinct 15 - Moving to Peace Lutheran Church, 1900 E. Lincoln Highway, New Lenox;
• St. James Wellness Center, Crete Precinct 06 - Moving to Crete Fire Station 2, 25048 S. Klemme Road, Crete;
• Timbers of Shorewood, Troy Precinct 07 - Moving to Troy Middle School, 5800 W. Theodore St., Plainfield;
• Village Woods, Crete Precinct 11 - Moving to Crete Fire Station 1, 26730 S. Stoney Island, Crete;
• Willow Falls, Lockport Precinct 21 - Moving to Crest Hill City Hall, 1610 Plainfield Road, Crest Hill.

"The County Clerk’s Office on Thursday mailed letters to every registered voter in these precincts to notify them of the Polling Place change," the announcement from the County Clerk's Office said. "In addition, the Clerk’s Office will place signs at the entrances of the original Polling Places directing voters to the new locations."

The new polling locations are also available online at the County Clerk website.

Besides moving polling locations to protect children and senior citizens, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently encouraged all state residents to make use of mail-in ballots. Mail-in ballots are still available on the County Clerk website until 4:30 p.m. on March 12.

"[March 12] is the deadline for mail-in ballots and people can go to thewillcountyclerk.com to fill out an application; they would have to fill it out online," Pelkie said, "but the minute they submit it... a mail-in ballot would be mailed to them today or first thing tomorrow morning."

All mail-in ballots must be post-marked by primary election day, Tuesday, March 17.

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