Suburban Cook County Sees Record Numbers for Early Voting

A record number of suburban Cook County voters took advantage of the first day of early voting on Monday, shattering previous marks for the day, Cook County Clerk David Orr said Tuesday.

On Monday, 25,579 suburban Cook County residents cast their ballot at 52 early voting sites in suburban Cook County and at Cook County Clerk David Orr’s downtown Chicago office. An additional 838 people registered and voted through Grace Period registration, according to a news release. Tuesday was also a popular day for early voting in Cook County with 23,621 casting their ballot.

The previous record for the first day of early voting was set in the 2012 presidential election, when 13,779 suburban Cook County voters cast their ballots on Oct. 22, 2012.

“This is an incredible testament to the rising popularity of early voting,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said. “Whether it’s voting early at one of our 52 sites throughout Cook County, or voting from the comfort of home via a mail-in ballot, Cook County voters appreciate the options they have. There are contests and initiatives up and down the ballot that are generating a lot of interest from voters, who obviously want to make sure their votes are cast.”

The clerk’s office increased the number of designated early voting sites for suburban Cook County voters to 52 for this year’s presidential election, up from 44 in the March primary, according to a news release.

Early voting sites will be open to all eligible suburban Cook County residents through Monday, Nov. 7. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters do not need to provide a reason in order to cast a ballot prior to Election Day, according to the clerk’s office.

Cook County residents who missed previous voter registration deadlines can still register at any Cook County early voting sites. During this grace period, voters not yet registered must provide two forms of identification, and they must vote in person at the time that they register.

Voting by mail is another popular option for pre-Election Day voting.

Orr expects more than 100,000 suburban Cook County voters to vote by mail in this presidential Election.

Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot using the online application at cookcountyclerk.com/VoteByMail. Applying online can take less than a minute.

The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is November 3 – although the Clerk’s office recommends that voters request their mail ballot before October 31 to prevent any postal delays. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, November 8, and received at the Cook County Clerk’s office within 14 days of Election Day.

Suburban Cook County voters can find a list of the Early Voting locations and their hours at cookcountyclerk.com/EarlyVoting.

Also, the clerk's office is updating its real-time reporting of early voting ballots cast online.

Photo via Shutterstock