Spring-election voters will need to use networks other than UIUCnet to access the ballot website, a CITES representative said Tuesday.

Brian Mertz, senior security outreach specialist for CITES, said an incompatibility issue between the UIUCnet service and the vote.illinois.edu website will likely not be resolved before student voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Students using the IllinoisNet wireless and other connections off campus should not have a problem.

UIUCnet provides an unsecured connection meant for simple Internet use, so CITES restricts access to certain ports, one of which is used by vote.illinois.edu. As a result, vote.illinois.edu will be inaccessible through UIUCnet. IllinoisNet wireless, which is a secured connection, does not have this restricted access to different ports. 

Adam Joines, chair of the Campus Student Election Commission, said he had fielded complaints about people being unable to vote, but the problems were resolved simply: by changing computers, switching networks or by voting from another location.

“As far as I know, everything has gone swimmingly,” Joines said.

Still, CITES’ website recommends using IllinoisNet in any location where the connection is listed on one’s computer as available.