Local

Cook County: First Presidential Primary with Election Day Registration, 17 YO voters


Cook County, IL-(ENEWSPF)- More than 1.4 million suburban Cook County residents – a record number for a presidential election – are registered to vote in tomorrow‘s Presidential Primary Election, according to Cook County Clerk David Orr.

This is the first Presidential Primary election where recent changes to state law such as Election Day Registration and 17-year-old registration and voting, will be in effect.  

“These changes I’ve championed for years, to make registration and voting easier, have helped to drive registration and turnout before election day,” Orr said. “We’ve already broken records in early voting and voting by mail in this election. From the presidential races to some countywide and state legislative races, there’s a lot that’s generating interest and excitement. Elections matter, and primary elections matter especially so.”

Suburban Cook County Pre-Election Day Voting
in Presidential Primary Elections

 

2008
Total

2012
Total

2016 Total(unofficial)

% Change
2012-2016

Registered Voters

1,350,580

1,394,649

1,443,261

3.5%

Early Voting

51,116

37,209

102,408*

175.2%

Grace Period Voting

561

626

5,465*

773.0%

Mail Voting Returned
/Applications

8,835/13,523

9,667/12,651

16,631/37,166**

193.8%

Total Pre-Election Ballots

60,512

47,453

124,504

162.4%

Total Ballots Cast

585,449

329,837

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% Pre-Election Ballots

10.3%

14.4%

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Overall Turnout

43%

24%

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*As of 3/13/16 at 3 p.m. Grace period and Early Voting continue on 3/14.
**As of 3/13/16. Mail ballots postmarked by 3/15 can be received until 3/29.

An updated voter registration card was included in an election information notice mailed to all registered voters last month. Voters are not required to show the card before voting, but it does list useful information including the voter’s precinct, polling location and voting districts. Voters can also check their registration status, precinct, polling place and sample ballot at the Clerk’s website, cookcountyclerk.com/VoterInfo, or via the Clerk’s mobile site,m.cookcountyclerk.com.

Here are some interesting statistics about tomorrow’s election:

  • 1,443,261 registered voters in suburban Cook County (1,394,649 in the 2012 Presidential Primary)
  • 989 candidates in 263 contests, 31% of which are contested
  • 8,500 election judges, working in 1,036 polling places
  • 102,408 ballots cast during early voting through Sunday, comparable to 37,209 total early votes in 2012
  • The five busiest early voting locations through Sunday were: Arlington Heights Village Hall (5,882); Orland Township (5,747); Evanston Civic Center (5,153); Matteson Community Center (5,064); Northbrook Village Hall (4,386).
  • 27.8% of early voters have cast Republican ballots (compared with 38.6% of early voters in the 2012 Primary)
  • This is the first Presidential Primary in Illinois that 17-year-olds can register and vote if they turn 18 by the November General Election. From Sept. 1, 2015 to Feb. 16, 2016, 5,775 17-year-olds have registered. 
  • Recent Presidential Primary turnout in suburban Cook County:
    • 2012: 23.6%
    • 2008: 43.3%
    • 2004: 31.3%

ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION
This is the first Presidential Primary Election to offer Election Day Registration. Voters who are not registered to vote can register and vote at their home precinct only, on Election Day. Any voter who is not registered and needs to know where to go to register and vote on Election Day can just go to cookcountyclerk.com/VoterInfo to search by address for their polling place. They need to go to their home precinct to register and vote on Election Day if they are not already registered.

Voters planning on registering to vote or updating their voter information on Election Day must bring two forms of ID, one with current address. No photo ID is necessary.

ELECTION DATA
Election data including voter registration statistics; turnout history; and Post-Election Reports from previous elections to 2008 are available at the Clerk’s website. Maps which show where voters cast specific party ballots throughout Cook County, as well as other election data from the past four elections, can be found in the Map Room section of the Clerk’s website.

ELECTION RESULTS
Election results for suburban Cook County, not including Chicago, will be available at :cookcountyclerk.com.

After polls close on Election Night, the Cook County Clerk’s office tabulates and displays unofficial vote totals that include: all early votes; all mail ballots received by Election Day; and all ballots cast in the precincts on Election Day. Precinct- and township-level results are not available on Election Night.

The clerk’s office will tabulate all mail ballots received within two weeks of Election Day if they are postmarked by March 15 and all provisional ballots that are verified. By statute, Illinois election authorities have up to three weeks to certify election results.

OVERLAPPING DISTRICTS
Many district boundaries overlap with another election jurisdiction. In those situations, election night vote totals must be combined from different websites. A handy overlapping district chart is included in the press packet to help guide your coverage.

MEDIA CREDENTIALS AND GUIDELINES
Members of the media do not need a paper credential provided by the Clerk’s office to visit, film or photograph suburban Cook County precincts. However, election judges will require news reporters, photographers and TV crews to show a government-issued or company identification card. Please remember interviews cannot be conducted inside the polling place.


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