Independence Village of Peoria, St. Sharbel Apartments, and Lutheran Hillside Village will no longer serve as polling places for the Tuesday, March 17 Illinois primary due to the concerns for the well-being of their elderly residents regarding the risks of influenza and potentially COVID-19.

The facilities notified the Peoria County Election Commission, which made the announcement Tuesday, March 10.

“We respect that these facilities are looking after the best interests of their elderly, at-risk population,” said Thomas Bride, director of the Peoria County Election Commission. “We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may have caused, but we appreciate everyone’s understanding of the current situation.”

Precincts PE80, PE83, and PE85 voters will move from Independence Village to ICC Peoria, 5407 N. University St.

Precinct PE57 voters will move from St. Sharbel Apartments to St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1427 W. Lake Ave.

Precincts PE86 and RI03 voters will move from Lutheran Hillside Village to Mossville Methodist Church, 1015 E Mossville Road.

All affected voters will be notified by mail of their new polling place. Alternatively, people may still vote by mail. The deadline to apply for vote by mail for the Primary Election is 7 p.m., Thursday, March 12.

All ballots received postmarked on or before March 17 will be counted.

Early Voting is also available through the Monday prior to the election.  Early Voting dates and times can be found at www.peoriaelections.org

Questions about precinct changes, Vote by Mail or Early Voting for Peoria County residents should be directed to the Peoria County Election Commission at 309-324-2300.

Questions regarding COVID-19 response plans and information should be directed to local health departments. Peoria County: Diana Scott, Communications Manager 309-679-6609 or dscott@peoriacounty.org.

The Tazewell County Clerk said it will move the polling location for Washington Precinct 12 from Leisure Acres Senior Living Facility at 200 Carlson Ave., Building 12, to Roland Manor Baptist Church at 2433 Washington Road for the Tuesday, March 17 Illinois primary election. This move is required because of preventative concerns with the spread of the coronavirus.

Washington Township officials and Washington Precinct 12 election judges have already been notified of the temporary move and Voter Identification Cards marked temporary and reflecting this change are already being printed and will be mailed out as soon as possible to all Washington Precinct 12 registered voters, as required by state law.

Contact the Tazewell County Clerk if you have any questions concerning our actions in this situation.