Early Voting Expands Monday In Illinois Ahead Of Election
(CBS) – Monday marked the first day of expanded early voting.
More than 100 polling place in Chicago and suburban Cook County may help set a record turnout ahead of Election Day.
County Clerk David Orr says 12,000 suburbanites have early-voted so far.
In Chicago, Board of Elections Spokesman Jim Allen says more than 31,000 have. That included at least 9,000 on Monday alone.
At that pace, voters in the city could surpass previous presidential election early voter turnout of 240,000 in 2012 and 260,000 in 2008.
Orr says he's expecting twice the number of mail-in ballots as four years ago.
He says applications are high in areas that traditionally vote Democratic.
In the city, 72,000 people have applied for mail-in ballots.
The number of those who actually cast them is usually lower, and Allen says it's not likely to match the record of 116,000 mail-in ballots, back in 1944.
As for voters worried about rigged elections, Orr says they're testing voting systems and welcome poll watchers -- as long as they follow the rules. Rules include not talking to voters.
Voters can cast a ballot at 51 places in the city and 52 in suburban Cook County through the day before Election Day.
As for mail-in ballots, they must be postmarked by Nov. 8 and received by Nov. 22.
For information about locations, click here.
