Starting in this year’s election, voters will be able to cast their ballot before election day.

In previous years, voters would need to furnish an excuse or pardon in order to complete an absentee ballot if unable to make it on Election Day.

The need to furnish a pardon in order to vote before elections was something that prevented many voters from making it out to the polls in previous elections, said Eric Donnewald, director of Election Training and Resource Development for the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield.

Mark Shelden, Champaign County clerk, said about half of the states have adopted early voting. He said that it will not really have an impact on vote turnout.

“I think across America we found that early voting has very little impact on the number of people that vote. People will continue to go to the voting places on election day, but there are only a few people that will take advantage of early voting,” said Shelden.

But some believe early voting will encourage students and residents to get out and vote because of the more flexible voting dates, said Dan Nora, junior in LAS.

“Early voting should increase enfranchisement,” said Nora. “It will also allow students another opportunity to vote in their respective districts, where they are more likely to know the candidates and issues.”

Early voting for residents of Champaign will is Monday, Oct. 16, through Thursday, Nov. 2; on weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; and 9 a.m. until noon on both weekends. Early voters must cast their ballot at the office of the Champaign County Clerk, 1776 E. Washington St., Urbana.

Champaign County is offering a surplus of information via their Web site to ensure that all voters are informed of the respective candidates, Shelden said.

“We want to encourage everyone in town to get out and vote, and if you visit our Web site, you can find out every candidate that’s going to be on your ballot as well as all the issues,” Shelden said.