Saturday’s your last chance to vote early
BY BECKY SCHLIKERMAN Staff Reporter bschlikerman@suntimes.com November 2, 2012 7:40PM
Lauren Kaeseberg, with her son Atticus, 5 months, was one of the many Chicago voters who lined up to cast their ballots in early voting at the Cook County Office Building, 69 W. Washington, Friday morning. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times
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Updated: December 4, 2012 6:10AM
Saturday is the last day for Illinois residents to cast early votes, and election officials believe the polls will be busy.
“I do expect people to be coming out of the woodwork,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said Friday. “Assuming the weather is nice, I expect a big turnout tomorrow.”
That’s the same for city of Chicago sites.
“Get there early” said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. “If you don’t get there early, bring a book.”
Allen said some of the city’s busiest sites saw waits of more than two hours Friday.
All city and suburban Cook County sites are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., officials said.
On Friday, about 200,000 suburban Cook County residents, or about 14 percent of registered voters, voted early, according to the clerk’s office. In the city, more than 200,000 residents, or about 15 percent of registered voters, had cast early votes as of Friday afternoon Allen said.
In 2008, 226,084 suburban Cook County residents voted early, according to the clerk’s office. In the city that year, more than 260,000 voters cast early votes, Allen said.
Saturday is also the last day for “grace period” registration and voting, which can only be done at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor, Allen said.
