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Pre-election Day Voting in Suburban Cook Surpasses 2010 with Four Days To Go


Early voting 2014
Orland Township has been the busiest early voting site in suburban Cook County. (Bryan Docter/Cook County Clerk’s Office)

More than 115,000 voters have voted early, by mail or during grace period registration

Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- With four days left in early voting, suburban Cook County already has greater participation in early voting, mail voting and grace period registration and voting than in 2010, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Thursday.

“Suburban Cook County voters are taking advantage of the three convenient ways to vote before Election Day, in numbers that surpass early balloting four years ago,” Orr said. “More than 115,000 suburban voters have voted during early voting, by mail or through grace period registration.”

The early voting turnout of 83,871 from 2010 was beaten Thursday by 10:15 a.m., in part because of the extended hours to 7 p.m. that began on Monday and continue tonight and tomorrow. Most sites will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, and 18 of the early voting sites will be open on Sunday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The busiest early voting sites are: Orland Township (5,380); Arlington Heights Village Hall (4,549) and Northbrook Village Hall (3,940). Real-time early voting turnout and a pdf of turnout by location are available at cookcountyclerk.com.

Meanwhile mail voting is on track to set a new all-time record. By Wednesday, about 62,000 mail ballot applications had been requested, and more than 29,000 have already been returned, beating the mark set in the 2010 gubernatorial election of 25,004 mail ballots cast. The record for mail ballots cast was 36,754 in 2012. 

“Today is the last day to apply for a mail ballot, but it is really cutting it close and doesn’t allow for much delivery time,” Orr said. “If you still want to apply for a mail ballot, do so online at cookcountyclerk.com/votebymail to expedite the process.”

Orr said his initiative to expand grace period registration and voting to all 43 early voting sites in suburban Cook County has proven to be popular and convenient for voters. By the end of the day on Wednesday, 2,431 voters took advantage of the grace period to register or update their registration and then immediately cast a ballot. Four years ago, 1,582 voters participated in grace period registration and voting.

SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY 2010 2014
Registered Voters 1,370,186 1,398,724
Early Voting 83,871 84,000*
Mail Voting Applications/Returned 33,000/25,004 62,000/29,000^
Grace Period Registration & Voting 1,582 2,431^
Total Turnout including Election Day 719,090 Tbd

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