Historic number of suburban Cook County voters cast Early, Mail ballots
Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- With four days of Early Voting remaining in the 2016 Presidential Election, a record number of suburban Cook County voters have taken part in both in-person Early Voting and Mail Voting, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Friday.
Through all forms of pre-Election Day voting combined – Early in-person, Mail, and Grace Period – nearly 285,000 suburban Cook County voters had voted through Thursday.
As of Friday afternoon, 4,848 people had voted early at Park Forest Village Hall.
“We expect the numbers we have seen for pre-election voting to continue its impressive growth, since the weekend before Election Day is usually quite busy at our suburban Early Voting sites,” Orr said. “There is intense interest in this election and that’s being shown in these pre-Election Day voting numbers.”
The 228,877 in-person early voters have already surpassed the 228,695 who voted early in the 2012 Presidential Election and 226,084 who voted early in 2008.
| SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 |
| Registered Voters | 1,436,210 | 1,416,811 | 1,512,190 |
| Early Voting | 226,084 | 228,695 | 228,877* |
| Mail Voting Applications/Returned | 31,600/27,727 | 44,500/36,754 | 113,375/48,874^ |
| Grace Period Registration & Voting | 4,197 | 8,212 | 7,206* |
| Total Turnout including Election Day | 1,056,242 | 1,001,693 | TBD |
*As of 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 4
^Through Nov. 2
The growth in the number of people voting early in-person could be attributed to the Clerk’s office increasing the number of Early Voting sites to 52 from 44 in the Presidential Primary, and the fact that most Early Voting sites have been open until 7 p.m. Suburban Cook County voters can find a map and list of the Early Voting locations and their hours at cookcountyclerk.com/EarlyVoting.
All of suburban Cook County’s 52 Early Voting sites will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Additionally, all sites will be open on Monday, Nov. 7 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. This is the first general election where suburban Cook County’s Early Voting sites have also been open the day before Election Day.
Where can I vote early in Park Forest?
The five busiest Early Voting sites through Thursday are: Orland Township (10,803); Arlington Heights Village Hall (10,283); Evanston Civic Center (10,151); Northbrook Village Hall (9,366) and Oak Park Village Hall (8,930). Real-time early voting turnout and a pdf of turnout by location are available at cookcountyclerk.com.
Thursday was the last day for voters to request a mail ballot.
“If you have received your mail ballot I urge you to complete the ballot and get in the mail as soon this weekend,” Orr said.
Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, November 8, and received at the Clerk’s office within 14 days of Election Day.
The vast majority – about 74 percent — of early voters have been older than 50. Voters older than 60 have made up 53 percent of early voters.
Women have made up about 57 percent of all suburban Cook County early voters.
All Early Voting sites also offer Grace Period registration and voting. So far, there have been 7,206 Grace Period voters. The Grace Period allows Cook County residents to register and vote on the same day.
Individuals looking to participate simply need two pieces of identification, one of which shows the voter’s current address. No photo ID is necessary to register.
The number of registered voters in suburban Cook County for the Presidential Election – 1,512,190 – is the highest number of registered voters in suburban Cook County going back to at least 1980, as far back as the Clerk’s office records of the number of registered voters go.
2016 Presidential Election pre-Election Day Voting*
| Early Voting | 228,877 |
| Mail Voting (Ballots Received) | 48,874 |
| Grace Period | 7,206 |
| Total Pre-Election Day Voting | 284,957 |
*Through Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016
