County schools register new voters

BENTON — High school students who will turn 18 before Nov. 8 are eligible to vote in this year's presidential election. As a result, the Regional Office of Education 21 has given those students an opportunity to register.
ROE Superintendent Matt Donkin and representatives from County Clerk Greg Woolard's office have been busy this week, touring Franklin County schools in an effort to persuade students to participate in the November general election.
"It is important for them to realize as an adult they are part of not only the present but the future and we want them involved as citizens and this is a good place to start," Donkin said shortly after taking registration documents from students at Benton Consolidated High School.
Donkin provides the service during every election cycle in cooperation with the county clerk's office.
"It's part of citizenship as we're supposed to be supporting an education. It's a way that instead of the students trying to figure out where the election office is or even go online to do it, they can actually meet real people who can also talk about the election process so it's not as scary or intimidating as it might be," Donkin added.
Preceding the BCHS registration, Donkin and election officials visited schools at West Frankfort, Thompsonville, Zeigler-Royalton, Christopher and Sesser-Valier. Over 250 students registered at the six county schools.
Woolard said ballots for the March 2015 General Primary had finally been certified.
Early voting begins at 8 a.m. today at the Elections Office in the county’s Annex Building, 202 W. Main St. in Benton.
The number of candidates for president in the election had caused a delay in the Illinois State Board of Elections certifying of the ballots because of the number of challenges filed. Woolard had said he feared the scheduled start of early voting could be delayed.
Woolard said there are about 27,000 registered voters in Franklin County.