Early voting surges
Nearly triples that in 2014 in Chicago, suburbs as primary features hot races
Even before Tuesday’s primary, thousands of Cook County residents came out to cast their votes early, shattering records in both Chicago and suburban Cook.
Chicago set a recordwith 85,892 early voters as of Sunday. That’s nearly double the previous record of 45,013 that was set in 2010.
Suburban Cook County had 90,672 early voters as of Sunday — more than double the previous early voting record in suburban Cook for a primary featuring a gubernatorial race. That record also was set in 2010, when 35,679 suburban Cook County voters cast early ballots, Cook County Clerk David Orr saidMonday.
VOTING GUIDE ONLINE: Get ready for the primary and check out the Sun- Times’ voting guide at https:// chicago. suntimes. com/ elections/ voting- guide/.
Orr noted there are a number of hot races to draw people to the polls this year.
“It’s often a factor of the voters’ interest and we have more close races almost than ever,” he said before ticking off a number of hot races: “gubernatorial, attorney general, county president.
“And the mother of all races, the Cook County assessor’s race,” Orr added — in which incumbent Joe Berrios is facing a spirited challenge from Fritz Kaegi, an Oak Park financial manager.
Orr also pointed out that 80 percent of early suburban voters are Democrats.
And a stark age gap exists in early voting, Orr said, noting that 84 percent of early votes have been cast by voters 45 and older.
Chicago Board of Election Commissioner Marisel Hernandez also said that few young people are voting early. “Where are the millennials?” she asked.
Comparison to 2014
Total early primary voting in all of Cook County, through Sunday, was 176,564 ballots cast, based on data from the Chicago Board of Elections and the clerk’s office. Additionally, 40,072 Chicago voters have requested amail- in ballot.
In 2014, that combined number was 79,134.
“It’s too soon to say how much higher turnout will be relative to 2014, as these numbers partly reflect more people accepting Early Voting and Vote By Mail,” Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections, said in a statement. “However, we feel certain that turnout will easily surpass the super- low 16.5 percent rate of the 2014 Primary.”
The Chicago Board of Elections will operate a hotline for voters to call in complaints and concerns on election day. The number is ( 312) 269- 7870.
Hernandez said her office plans to use more than 450 investigators on election day to look into shenanigans.
Here’s a list of early ballots