Mark your calendars – there are four elections in 2020! The St. Charles County Election Authority is preparing for a busy year at the polls. Following is a breakdown of election dates, voter registration deadlines, information on how you can make a difference and earn extra money by becoming an election judge, and other details:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 10
- Last day to register to vote: Feb. 12
- Please note: Since this is a primary election, voters will be asked to select a ballot for one party.
- General Municipal Election: April 7
- Last day to register to vote: March 11
- Primary Election: Aug. 4
- Last day to register to vote: July 8
- Please note: Since this is a primary election, voters will be asked to select a ballot for one party. Non-partisan issues will appear on each party’s ballot. Voters also can request a ballot for non-partisan issues only.
- General Election: Nov. 3
- Last day to register to vote: Oct. 7
- Want to serve your community and make extra money? Become an Election Judge! A vital part of the voting process, election judges work at polling locations on election days to sign in registered voters, explain procedures, provide ballots, and monitor the election. They are paid $120 per day or $60 for a half-day and receive an additional $30 for attending mandatory training. Learn more and apply online!
- Voter Notification Postcards will be sent to every registered voter at least one week before each election. Between the Presidential Preference Primary in March and the General Municipal Election in April, voters also will receive a Voter Identification Postcard in the mail that can serve as an additional form of identification when voting.
- If your polling location has changed, you will receive a separate notification letter in addition to your Voter Notification Postcard and Voter Identification Postcard.
- Need to register to vote or update your name or address? Visit the Election Authority’s Voter Registration Information page for instructions.
- Registered voters have several options of documents to present for voter identification at the polls. Visit the Election Authority’s Voting in St. Charles County page for a list.
While it’s only January, the Election Authority already is working on printing and preparing the ballots for the March and April elections, communicating with polling locations, training judges, and processing voter registrations.
“We’ve made several changes to make the voting process more efficient for voters, from combining some polling locations to make them faster and more efficient to hiring temporary staff to help handle the volume of calls and questions on election days,” explains Kurt Bahr, Director of the Election Authority. “We encourage citizens to make certain their registration is current and allow plenty of time to cast their ballots on each election day. The August and November elections in particular are expected to have large turnouts.”