UPDATED: Early Voting Halted In Winnebago County Due To Another Ballot Mistake

Our partners at Eyewitness News are reporting that early voting now has resumed and that voters are being given special instructions when they arrive regarding the ballot error.

Original story below -------

Just as quickly as early voting opened in Winnebago County it has now ground to a halt. As our partners at Eyewitness News are reporting, a second error with the race for Winnebago County Forest Preserve Commissioner has forced the city of Rockford and county to suspend early voting:

Officials with both the City of Rockford and Winnebago County elections office said they would mail new ballots out to those people who had already received absentee ballots with the race included.

However, officials tell 'Eyewitness News' the new ballots contain a new mistake.  They instruct voters to vote for one candidate -- rather than vote for two of the three candidates on the ballot.  The race is for two seats on the Commission, not one.

The news comes on a day when both candidates for governor are pushing voters to get to the polls. Former President Bill Clinton is in Illinois with Pat Quinn, while New Jersey Governor (and Republican Governors Association chief) Chris Christie will be appearing in Rockford with Bruce Rauner.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider is already out with a statement:

"The Illinois Republican Party expresses its strong concern over reports that early voting has been halted in Winnebago County, including in the City of Rockford. The people of Illinois have a right to vote and no one should be able to deny them that right. With early voting underway, we call on the Winnebago County and Rockford County election officials to immediately restore the people's right to vote in a manner that ensures every legal vote is accurately counted. The Illinois Republican Party will closely monitor the situation in the hours ahead to ensure county and city officials restore the people's right to vote."

Eyewitness News is reporting that voting will not resume until new, correct ballots can be printed. There's no word on when that might be.

For all the talk about early voting and opening up the process and not disenfranchising anyone (but just for this election, right Pat Quinn?), it seems more and more likely that many Rockford-area voters might have to wait until Election Day to cast a ballot.