By Jim Hagerty
Contributor

ROCKFORD — The Rockford Board of Election Commissioners on Tuesday announced it will postpone the start of early voting for the March 20 primary election, meaning it will not commence on Thursday as scheduled throughout Illinois.

The announcement was made when a judge last week ruled Scott Drury’s name could not appear on the Democratic ballot for attorney general because someone challenged his economic disclosure statement. Although Drury was granted a temporary stay Friday, which allows his name on the ballot while he appeals the decision, the new ballots won’t be ready in time.

A member of the Illinois House of Representatives, Drury faces a host of opponents, including Chicago Park District board president Jesse Ruiz and former Gov. Pat Quinn.

Early voting in Winnebago County is on schedule. It beings at 8 a.m. Thursday in the Winnebago County Clerk’s office, 404 Elm St. Voters will be briefed about Drury’s name before they vote.

Early voting in Rockford is scheduled to open Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Rockford is not the only municipality to postpone early voting. Dupage and Cook counties, along with the City of Chicago and several others, decided to postpone voting this week because of objections in the AG and other races.

There were several objections that affected ballots in Chicago, Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen said.

“Programming and testing of the equipment in the city’s more than 1,000 ballot variations in four languages is still under way,” Allen said in a statement.

Early voting in Chicago could open on or before Feb.21, Allen said. About 3 million voters will be affected statewide. R.

— with Associated Press reports