WILL COUNTY, IL — A total of 54,865 Will County residents had already voted in the Nov. 3 General Election through early voting and vote-by-mail drop boxes as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Will County Clerk's Office.
On Monday, the Clerk's Office had said that just over 38,000 residents had already voted. So in just three days, about 16,000 residents cast their ballots.
The Will County Clerk's Office has still seen the most early voters, with 5,102 residents voting as of 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. 44,934 residents have already used early voting to cast their ballots.
Besides the clerk's office, the early voting locations that have seen the most early voters are:
9,931 Will County residents have utilized vote by mail drop boxes, according to the clerk's office, with the most ballots dropped off at the drop box at the Clerk's Office with 2,074 ballots.
Besides the clerk's office, the vote by mail drop boxes with the most ballots dropped off are:
The Clerk's Office said there are 466,424 registered voters in Will County.
Voters Will Elect New Sheriff For First Time In Years
Back in the spring, Democrat and three-term Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley urged the voters of Will County to follow his recommendation and make newly appointed Undersheriff Dan Jungles the next sheriff. The majority of the voters in the Democratic Party ignored Kelley's endorsement and decided it was time to bring an end to the Kelley administration.
Road Patrol Sgt. Patrick Jones had 59 percent of the Democratic primary vote, compared to Jungles at 40 percent. In February 2025, Jones had announced his candidacy for Will County Sheriff and plans to compete against Jungles.
"I currently have 24 years of experience between the jail and being a police officer with the Will County Sheriff's Office," Jones announced in his introductory YouTube video. "I hold the rank of sergeant, patrol division, right now. The reason for me running is that I believe that the squad car has become a barrier to the community, and we need more interaction with the community. I want to build trust through transparency."
On Nov. 3, Jones will go up against well-known Will County Sheriff's Deputy James "Jim" Reilly, who is making his third bid to become the sheriff as a Republican.
In 2022, Reilly was ahead against Kelley in the last general election on election night, only to lose after all the mail-in ballots were counted afterward.
Will County Government Contested Races
Incumbent Will County Treasurer Tim Brophy, a Democrat, faces Republican challenger Carmen Maurella III, while incumbent Regional Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth Caparelli-Ruff, the Republican, is vying against retiring Joliet School District 86 Superintendent Theresa Rouse, who is a Democrat.
Incumbent Will County Clerk Annette Parker, a Republican, faces Democrat challenger Michelle Stiff.
Will County Judges Up For Retention, 1 Contested Race
Several of Will County's longtime judges, including Amy Bertani-Tomczak, who has served on the bench for 32 years, are up for retention. Of the judges up for retention, they must receive at least 60 percent of the yes vote from the Will County voters to remain on the bench for another six years. The last Will County Circuit Judge who was kicked off the bench by the voters was Judge Edward "Ned" Masters in the 1990s.
In addition to Amy Bertani-Tomczak, Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy, along with Daniel Rippy and Sarah Jones, is up for retention. As for the open circuit court judge positions, Associate Will County Judge Amy Christiansen, a Democrat, is running against Plainfield criminal defense lawyer JohnPaul Ivec, a Republican, to fill the vacancy of Dave Carlson, who left the bench to return to being a private practice attorney in Will and Grundy Counties.
The online voter registration deadline has passed, but you can take advantage of grace period in-person voter registration at your county clerk's office or permanent early voting locations. You can also register at your polling place on Election Day.
To register in person, you'll need to bring two forms of ID, with at least one showing your current address.
If you want to take a look at your local election ballot with all your races, you can do so here:
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