Lake County Saw Record Turnout for March Primary Election: County Clerk

LAKE COUNTY, IL - This past primary election saw a record number of voters turning out to cast their ballot in Lake County, Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff said Tuesday.

Forty-four percent of Lake County residents -- a total of 182,851 voters -- headed to the polls or cast their ballot by mail in the March primary election, Wyckoff said in a press release. The 2016 participation rate was double of the 2012 presidential primary and almost triple of the 2008 primary.

“It was exciting to see the crowds of people who came to vote on Election Day,” said County Clerk Carla N. Wyckoff. “Lines at some voting sites were long because of the unexpected large turnout, and I thank the voters for their patience while waiting.”

Experts predict the voter turnout for the Nov. 8 General Election will be as high as 70 or 80 percent.

Wyckoff is encouraging voters to plan ahead for the November election to make their voting experience easy. She offered the following tips:

• If you are already a Lake County registered voter, visit LakeVoterPower.info to check your record for accuracy. For those county residents who need to update their record or register for the first time, voter registration is open 300 days a year and is available online using the Illinois Online Voter Application on the Illinois State Board of Elections website, at the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles, at our office, or at many libraries or municipal offices throughout the county. If you wait until November’s Election Day to register under the new Grace Registration law, expect to wait your turn. Avoid the procrastination registration line and get registered today.
• Another way to eliminate standing in line on Election Day is choosing to vote early or by mail. These voting options are open to all voters, and you don’t need a reason to qualify for either one. Fourteen early voting sites will be available October 24 to November 7, and some locations offer evening and weekend hours. Making voting even easier, you can use any early voting site regardless of where you live in Lake County.
• Starting August 10, you may request a mailed ballot by contacting the Clerk’s office at847.377.2406 or sending an email to votingbymail@lakecountyil.gov. Ballots can be mailed to your home as early as September 29. Chances are there’s not a waiting line at your couch, and you can vote while wearing your slippers.

For more information on Lake County Clerk services and up-to-the-minute election news, visit LakeCountyClerk.info, follow us at twitter.com/LakeCountyClerk, join our page atfacebook.com/CountyClerk, or call 847.377.2400.