LARAMORE: Ballots will be ready by Feb. 4

<span>Early voting ballots in the upcoming primary elections will be ready to go by Feb. 4, according to Randolph County Clerk Pat Laramore.</span>

<span>On Monday, Perry County Clerk Josh Gross announced that ongoing objections to several presidential candidates were not anticipated to be resolved by the Illinois State Board of Elections in time for ballots to be prepared and voting tabulators to be programmed for the opening of by mail and early voting.</span>

<span>That situation changed on Tuesday, Laramore said.</span>

<span>"I've been on the phone with the State Board of Elections and it will be ready to go by the fourth," Laramore told the Herald Tribune. "That's my prediction right now."</span>

<span>It was previously reported that the ballots and machines will be available no later than February 17 - the beginning of grace period registration and voting by which time most challenges seeking to remove candidates from the ballot should have been decided and final ballot certifications issued by the Illinois State Board of Elections. </span>

<span>Objections have been filed to the signatures on petitions for Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, as well as two minor candidates.</span>

<span>Laramore said a meeting will be held Friday to resolve the objections.</span>

<span>"My military ballots will go out Friday," she said. "If we haven't put it in the radio or the newspaper, (the ballots) will be ready to go on the fourth."</span>

<span>Laramore asked that voters call her office at 618-826-5000, extension 191, to make sure ballots are available.</span>