Fenton, Illinois Public Records

Registration deadlines fall 16 days before any election for online or mail submissions, though the state offers grace period registration and voting at election authority offices and early voting sites from the 16th day before through Election Day itself. Registration requires providing a name, address, date of birth, and either a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Since Fenton operates as an unincorporated community without municipal government, residents don't vote in city council or mayoral races. Instead, they participate in Whiteside County elections, Fenton Township elections covering positions like township supervisor, clerk, assessor, highway commissioner, and trustees, plus state legislative and federal contests. Township elections occur in April of odd-numbered years, with the next round scheduled for April 2025. Residents can find their assigned polling place using the lookup tool on the Illinois State Board of Elections website at www.elections.il.gov or by calling the Whiteside County Clerk's office. Assignments depend on registration address and precinct boundaries. Illinois makes several election records available to the public, including voter registration lists (accessible for political and governmental purposes under 10 ILCS 5/1A-25), campaign finance disclosures filed with the state board, candidate nomination petitions and filings, and precinct-level election results. These documents are accessible through the Illinois State Board of Elections website or the Whiteside County Clerk's office. During the November 2024 presidential election, Whiteside County recorded approximately 60% turnout among registered voters, with roughly 23,000 ballots cast countywide. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, voters here will weigh in on several significant races: the Illinois Governor and Lieutenant Governor contest (with incumbent Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker potentially pursuing a third term), one U.S. Senate seat (Senator Tammy Duckworth's seat is up for election), one U.S. House seat representing Illinois's 17th Congressional District (which covers Whiteside County), all 118 Illinois House of Representatives seats, and various state and local offices including Whiteside County Board seats, circuit court judges, and township officials depending on term schedules. Illinois provides extensive absentee and mail-in voting options. Any registered voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot without stating a reason, submitting either a written application to the Whiteside County Clerk, an online request through the Whiteside County Clerk's website portal, or using the state portal at www.elections.il.gov. Mail ballot applications must reach the Whiteside County Clerk by 5 days before Election Day, though earlier requests are encouraged. Completed mail ballots need a postmark by Election Day and must arrive within 14 days after the election to count. In-person early voting takes place at the Whiteside County Clerk's office in Morrison and potentially at additional sites the Whiteside County Clerk establishes, typically starting 40 days before the election and running through the day before Election Day, with some weekend hours available.