WOODSTOCK, Ill. – Eleven additional early voting locations will open across McHenry County starting Monday, March 2 for the March 17 primary.

People registered to vote in McHenry County will have 12 sites to cast their ballots early, regardless of where in the county they live; early voting officially opened Feb. 5 at the McHenry County Election Center, 410 S. Eastwood Drive, Woodstock. You can find a complete list of locations and hours of operation on the McHenry County Clerk’s Office website by visiting www.mchenrycountyclerkil.gov, and then clicking on “Elections” and “Voter Information.”

Early voting will be available until 7 p.m. the night before the primary at seven of the locations. People wishing to vote in person on Election Day must do so at their assigned voting precinct; they can also vote at the McHenry County Election Center, which is a universal polling site.

You can find your polling place by calling 815-334-4242 or by visiting the ballot locator on the county clerk’s website; the locator also can generate a sample ballot so that you can see every race and referendum that you will be asked to help decide.

People who wish to vote by mail have until March 12 to request a ballot for the primary; the form can be found on the county clerk’s website. Vote-by-mail ballots can be mailed in, delivered in person, or dropped off at any time at the secure ballot drop box in front of the County Administration Building. Six additional early voting locations have indoor drop boxes that are accessible during voting hours.

As a reminder, changes to US Postal Service transportation practices may now result in some mail not getting postmarked the day it is received; because vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked no later than March 17, be sure to mail your ballot with enough advance time, or you can ask for a manual postmark at the post office counter, free of charge.

Voters who fill out a vote-by-mail ballot and then change their mind and decide to vote in person can do so by simply bringing their vote-by-mail ballot with them to the polls and surrendering it to the Election Judge.

If you’re not registered to vote, or you changed your address since the last election, you can register in person while you vote at the polls.