Expanded early voting now underway

From staff reports

Expanded early voting for suburban residents kicked off on Monday at more than 50 polling locations in village halls, community centers, and courthouses across Cook County suburban communities.

Suburban voters will have 53 sites to choose from to cast an early ballot in advance of the 2024 Presidential Primary Election on March 19. Early voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through March 18. Voter registration is also available at all early voting locations for any resident who wishes to register.

The 53 sites are open to any suburban Cook County voter, whereas on Election Day voters must cast their ballot at their home precinct.

Early voting sites include the Bridgeview Courthouse, Palos Heights Recreation Center, Orland Township Hall, Tinley Park Village Hall, Oak Lawn Village Hall, Alsip Village Hall, Lyons Village Hall, Brookfield Village Hall, the Stickney-Forest View Library, and the Prairie Trails Library in Burbank.

Cook County residents who would still like to register to vote can do so at any early voting location by providing two forms of identification, including one with their current address, and they must vote in person at the time that they register.

The Clerk’s Office has received more than 84,000 requests from suburban voters for Mail Ballots for this Primary Election and those ballots have been mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. The deadline to request a Mail Ballot is Thursday, March 14, and all ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, March 19. The Clerk’s Office will also have secure Mail Ballot Drop Boxes at all early voting sites if a voter prefers to drop off their completed mail ballot.

The Clerk’s Office is also putting out a call for residents to consider serving as an Election Judge for the Primary Election.  The pay rate for poll workers has increased to $250 for Election Judges and $400 for Polling Place Technicians, and the Clerk’s Office provides training for both positions. Online registration is available at cookcountyclerk.com/work. 

Suburban residents can check their voter registration status, view a sample ballot, find their polling place, and more through cookcountyclerk.com/VoterInfo.