Early voting begins in Illinois; registration grace period through October 21
Wed. October 15, 2008 12:00 AM by Kevin Wayne
Illinois residents are still able to register during a grace period
Chicago, IL -
Illinois voters are now casting ballots in the November election. With the election just three weeks away, Illinoisans are taking advantage of early voting for the first time for a presidential general election.
Chicago opened early voting offices on Monday to a brisk start. As of Tuesday, about 23,000 ballots had been cast in Chicago. Early voting started statewide on Tuesday.
The added convenience of early voting is expected to help drive up total voter turnout. According to the state's voter registration a record 7,511,593 people have registered to vote in Illinois.
Through Oct. 30, voters can cast a ballot without having to give reason why they are not able to vote on Nov. 4, Election Day, as they would to cast an absentee ballot. A government-issued photo ID is required for early voting.
Early voting will be available Monday at 51 sites in the city of Chicago and 44 sites in suburban Cook County. There are additional sites throughout the state.
Although the deadline to register to vote Nov. 4 has passed, Illinois residents are still able to register during a grace period through Oct. 21. New registrants taking advantage of the grace period will be required to cast their vote at the time they register and will not be able to vote at their precinct polling place.
For more information on early voting or registering during the grace period, visit ChicagoElections.com.
Chicago opened early voting offices on Monday to a brisk start. As of Tuesday, about 23,000 ballots had been cast in Chicago. Early voting started statewide on Tuesday.
The added convenience of early voting is expected to help drive up total voter turnout. According to the state's voter registration a record 7,511,593 people have registered to vote in Illinois.
Through Oct. 30, voters can cast a ballot without having to give reason why they are not able to vote on Nov. 4, Election Day, as they would to cast an absentee ballot. A government-issued photo ID is required for early voting.
Early voting will be available Monday at 51 sites in the city of Chicago and 44 sites in suburban Cook County. There are additional sites throughout the state.
Although the deadline to register to vote Nov. 4 has passed, Illinois residents are still able to register during a grace period through Oct. 21. New registrants taking advantage of the grace period will be required to cast their vote at the time they register and will not be able to vote at their precinct polling place.
For more information on early voting or registering during the grace period, visit ChicagoElections.com.