Voting in primary? Ticktock Tuesday is deadline to register for March 16 election

The deadline to register to vote in the March 16 Illinois primaryexpires at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

But there are still plenty of chances to get the vote out beforethe clock strikes 12, thanks in part to a new federal law that makesit possible to download voter registration forms from the Internet --at www.chicagoelections.com and elsewhere. Voter registrations sentvia the mail must be postmarked by Tuesday.

The Help America Vote Act, which President Bush signed into law inOctober 2002, also makes it possible for the first time in Illinoisto cast a ballot provisionally on the day of the election even if thevoter's name doesn't appear on the rolls.

People who think their name has been left off voter registrationrolls by mistake may vote, but their ballots will be held in a kindof escrow until officials can determine whether they are, in fact,registered to vote. Officials have 14 days after the election tocount, or discount, provisional ballots.

"Provisional voting is a safety net," said Tom Leach, spokesmanfor the Chicago Board of Elections. "We don't want people thinking itis a substitute. . . . We want you to register. We want you to be aqualified voter. But on the rare chance that you go into the pollingplace and your record is not there, we'll go back and find it."

"If you've never registered, we're not going to find it," Leachsaid.

For the March primary in Chicago, there could be "500 or 50,000"provisional votes cast, Leach said. "But if you're not a registeredvoter, we simply won't count it."

To register to vote in the March primary, a person needs to be aU.S. citizen at least 18 years old by Election Day and a resident ofIllinois for at least 30 days, said Dan White, spokesman for theIllinois State Board of Elections.

For those who choose to register to vote in person, registrarswill be available through Tuesday at county clerk and electionoffices, public libraries, driver's license facilities and publicassistance offices.

Hard-core procrastinators can register at Chicago City Hall until11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

Contributing: Cathleen Falsani