Lines near 4 hours for many Chicago polling sites on last day of early voting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On Monday, a day before Election Day 2024, the long lines continued at early voting sites in Chicago.
Voters reported waiting for three or even nearly four hours at many locations across the city.
At the Humboldt Park Branch Library, 1605 N. Troy St., the line was about two hours long as of the late afternoon. The line just to get inside the library building was at least an hour, and then there was a smaller line inside.
One man on line in Humboldt Park at 6:30 p.m. said he had come out hoping to vote on Sunday, only to find the line too long. On Monday, he said the line was even worse.
There are only seven voting booths at the Humboldt Park Branch Library. Similar setups have been seen at the Lincoln Park Branch Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave., and the John M. Merlo Branch Library in Lakeview, at 644 W. Belmont Ave.
None of those sites has nearby as many voting booths as the downtown Supersite at Clark and Lake streets.
But every location CBS News Chicago has visited has had a wait of at least one hour—most times more.
RELATED: What's on the 2024 ballot in Illinois?
Voters can register to vote or change their addresses at an early voting site, though that does slow down the process.
As of the end of the day Sunday, almost 300,000 early votes had been cast across Chicago. There have been almost 160,000 mail-in ballots reported.
Compared with the 2020 election during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago had a much higher early and mail-in voter turnout two days before the election—with a combined total of 424,321 ballots this year compared with 740,645 for 2020.
In 2016, early and mail-in turnout was lower, with 363,300 ballots altogether.
Word of the lines for early voting for this election has spread, though. People have come prepared with books, coffee, and even chairs.
"Especially in this election, it's super important—especially for our generation," said voter Zachary Davis as he sat in a folding chair in line. "We missed a couple of elections ago because we weren't old enough yet, so like, these last two that we have been old enough for, we're like trying to get all of our friends to go—because we just feel it's like, it's a very, very important election, with a lot of important things happening in the world right now."
Meanwhile, Andrea Zelen ordered a pizza for voters who were stuck in line in Humbolt Park.
"People are thrilled. We've been here all day. We ordered food," said Zelen. "I know people have been DoorDashing to the line that didn't have breakfast and were just kind of waiting to eat all day."
Zelen ordered thee pizza through the nonprofit Pizza to the Polls—a group that said it has fed voters in all 50 states who have all been waiting in long lines to cast their ballots.
"Especially if you get here early in the day, you're kind of working through breakfast and lunch," Zelen said. "You need something to keep you going."
People weren't just taking the pizza in Humboldt Park. They were sharing chairs too.
"We're absolutely going to give it to someone we don't need to take a chair with us," Davis said.
Some stood in line for their first time Monday.
"It's a new experience, and turning 18, a lot of people see it as having fun and all these things," said first-time voter Gemma Zenon, "but I feel like turning 18 is like being able to vote."
On Election Day Tuesday, Chicago residents can vote at their assigned polling places as directed by their voter registration, or any early voting site except the George W. Dunne Cook County Office Building at 69 W. Washington St.
