The Rock Island County Clerk’s Office is hoping to get more voters registered before the November election comes around.
As of Tuesday, August 16, 2016, there were 96,948 registered voters in the county, out of about 111,000 eligible voters. County Clerk Deputy John Brown said they hope to at least reach 99,000.
On Friday, August 12, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed a proposal that would have automatically registered voters. Now, potentially 700,000 Illinois voters have to take it upon themselves to see that their information is up-to-date.
Deputy John Brown with the Rock Island County Clerk said that they hope voters in the county take the initiative to register in time for November. The county would like to see their registered voters number reach 99,000.
Brown said that residents need to renew their voter information if they have moved, are new to the county, changed their name, are a first time voter, or have been released from jail. If you want to check your voter registration status, call the county clerk’s office at 309-786-8683.
Registration is open all year, except for 27 days before an election and for two days after an election, according to the county clerk’s website.