DeKALB – As political party signs start to divide neighborhood yards in blue and red, it can only mean one thing – the March primary elections.  

Illinois’ general primary election is taking place March 19.

Feb. 20 was the voting registration deadline, and if you missed it, do not despair. Anyone not registered by the deadline can file as a grace period registrant at their local election authority office. Grace period registrants can vote by mail or at an election authority designated location and have from Feb. 21 to March 5 to sign up. 

Local election authorities are Board of Elections commissioners or County Clerks like DeKalb County Clerk and County Recorder Tasha Sims.  

To find your local election authority, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections homepage at elections.il.gov and click on the ‘Information for Voters’ tab. The site features other useful information like a polling place locator, candidate search for individual races, district maps and you can register to vote. 

If you prefer to register in person, you can do so before or on Election Day at the Election Day Registration Center in the DeKalb County Administration Building at 110 E. Sycamore St., Sycamore or at the polling place associated with your address. Visit the DeKalb County Official Government Website to find your polling place or precinct. 

Terms like precincts, wards and districts can be confusing. 

According to The Rapidian, a program of the nonprofit Community Media Center, wards are the divided electoral districts of a city used during elections and are further divided into precincts – the physical polling locations.  

In June 2023, Sim’s office submitted a revised district boundary map for DeKalb County to align with a change in the Illinois Election Law that increased the number of registered voters within a precinct from 800 to 1,200. The approved revision increased precincts in the county from 65 to 69 while losing a single polling location, leaving 39 locations.  

Here is a snapshot of some of the candidates and races in DeKalb County. 

For more information visit dekalbcountyclerkil.gov or call 815-895-7156.