FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 23, 2002

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelley Elwood, 312/580-6497
Elizabeth Morgan, 312/853-6528

Hospitalized Citizens Can Still Exercise Their Right To Votes

With elections pending in November, physician members of the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS), together with the State Board of Elections, want eligible voters to be aware of their voting rights, should hospitalization keep them from visiting the polls.

As many as 2 percent of Illinois citizens over the age of 18 are hospitalized at any given time. That equates to 141,000 possible registered voters.

“The Presidential election of 2001, as well as the recent elections in Florida, illustrate just how important every vote is,” said John F. Schneider, MD, PhD, President of ISMS. “With Illinois electing a Governor, a Senator, an Attorney General and members of the Illinois Supreme Court, we need to make sure all of our citizens’ choices are recorded.”

If hospitalized not more than five days prior to an election, eligible voters may obtain an “Application for Absentee Ballot by Physically Incapacitated Elector” from election authorities (county clerk or board of elections commissioner). A physician must complete and sign the “Certificate of Attending Physician” section of the application. The application must then be delivered to the election authority’s office, and an absentee ballot will be hand delivered to the voter in the hospital. Those hospitalized more than five days before an election must obtain an “Application for Absent Voter’s Ballot,” which must be received no more than five days prior to the election for processing. The absentee ballot will be sent to the voter in the hospital.

“The State Board of Elections, with help from the Illinois State Medical Society, is making available a brochure on the entire process to help hospitalized voters understand their rights,” said Ron Michaelson, Executive Director, State Board of Elections. “We understand the value of our citizens’ ability to participate in the election process, and want to do what we can to help ensure the upcoming elections run as smoothly as possible.”

For more information on how to obtain the brochure, “In the Hospital You Can Still Vote,” which details the entire process of obtaining the appropriate absentee ballot, contact the Illinois State Medical Society at 1-800-782-4767 or visit the ISMS website at www.isms.org.

The Illinois State Medical Society is a professional association representing over 14,000 physicians
statewide practicing in all specialties.