In the next few weeks, registered voters in Livingston County will receive a new voter registration card. In accordance with legal requirements, the county clerk’s office is completing the cleansing of the voters in Livingston County. County Clerk Kristy Masching explained that the purging was done to help maintain voter registration by keeping the voter registration up-to-date in order to eliminate voters who were deceased or moved from Livingston County.

Masching urged voters to check their voter cards and be familiar with their electoral districts and voting locations, as some changes may have taken place. (Due to a lawsuit involving the newly drawn state legislative district map, this year's area code has been removed from the card.) Voters should sign the new card and destroy the old card.

Masching asks voters to assist in returning voter registration cards, which have been delivered to individuals who no longer reside at the address where the card was delivered. If a family receives a voter ID card for a family member or an individual who has lived at that address but no longer lives, please indicate "not at this address" on the voter ID card. If you know where the address is and the individual has moved there, please also paste it on the card and mail the card back to the county party secretary’s office without postage.

It is important that these cards are returned to the clerk’s office, not just destroyed, nor should they be given to anyone listed on the card who does not live in the household. If the recipient on the card is deceased, please notify the county clerk's office in writing. The sole purpose of erasure is to provide correct voter data for the election process.

In addition, if the personal address is changed due to the action of the municipality or the post office, please notify the county clerk's office of the above change. Masching said that if a person's Rural Route Box number is changed by a 9-1-1 address, but their new voter card shows an incorrect address, she needs to notify her office.

Registered voters who have not received their voter card before December 17 should call 815-844-2006 to notify the county clerk's office.

Masching wants to reiterate the importance of changing voter registration information whenever a person changes their name or moves, even if the move is across the street. If the address or name is not changed in time before the election, voters may be prohibited from voting by all votes.

Masching pointed out that the next election will be held on June 28, 2022. If the individual is not registered to vote, now is the time to do so. Registration can be done at the county clerk's office from 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. For information on eligibility for registration, please contact the County Clerk's Office at 815-844-2006. Please visit our website www.livingstoncountyil.gov (county service, county clerk, election) for online registration and other election information.