Primary is in March, but you can vote today

Primary is in March, but you can vote today

February 27, 2006

BY STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter. Copyright by the Chicago Sun Times

It's not a trick. There's no catch.

Beginning today, you can vote in the March 21 primary.

Simple as that.

Early voting has come to Illinois and will allow voters to cast an early ballot until March 16.

It's a way, supporters say, to vote at your convenience and probably avoid long lines to vote.

You'll also likely be able to avoid a deluge of poll workers hoping to grab your attention or hand you paraphernalia as you make your way into a voting site.

"I think people are going to like it," said Cook County Clerk David Orr, who pushed to introduce early voting to Illinois. "I just don't know how long it will take to really have a dramatic impact ... it might take awhile before the public really understands it."

Voting begins today at dozens of locations across Cook County and dozens more sites throughout the collar counties.

Concerns about fraud



The new provision eliminates the need for absentee voting for most, since you don't need to provide a reason to vote early, as you do when voting by absentee ballot.

Any suburban Cook County voter can cast a ballot at the county clerk's downtown office, but other suburban voters must vote in their hometown, likely at a village or city hall.

But in Chicago, any registered voter can vote at any precinct.

"That's very empowering for voters," said Chicago Board of Elections Chairman Langdon Neal. "It allows voters to take control of the voting process."

Ballots won't be tallied until March 21, but clerks will keep a daily record of who has voted -- adding some prevention to those looking to vote early and often.

Still, last week, the Better Government Association, League of Women Voters of Illinois and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform each cautioned election officials to be vigilant about fraud.

"Giving voters more opportunities to vote is a good thing," said the BGA's Jay Stewart. "But more opportunities to vote also means more opportunities for fraud."

Stewart said "the integrity of the ballot should be just as strongly guarded on early voting days as the traditional voting day."

Orr said with early voters having to present ID and vote in person, chances of fraud are lessened.



WHERE TO CAST AN EARLY BALLOT


Beginning today and continuing through March 16, Illinois voters can cast ballots for the March 21 primary at the following locations. You must show valid ID. Chicago voters can vote early at any site, while suburban Cook County voters can vote either in their hometown or the downtown clerk's office. Other county rules and voting hours vary, and some offer weekend voting, so call ahead or click on your election office Web site.


Suburban Cook County: Cook County clerk's downtown Chicago office; every suburban city hall, township hall and the county clerk's offices in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Markham and Bridgeview.

Chicago: Board of Elections, 69 W. Washington; Engine 26, 10 N. Leavitt Ave.; King Community Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave., 3rd District Police Station, 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Olive-Harvey College, 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.; South Chicago Learning Center, 3055 E. 92nd St.; McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.; West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St.; Archer Heights Library, 5055 S. Archer Ave.; 6th District Police Station, 7808 S. Halsted St.; 22nd District Police Station, 1900 W. Monterey Ave.; Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St.; West Side Learning Center, 4624 W. Madison St.; Amundsen Park, 6200 W. Bloomingdale Ave.; Mozart Park, 2036 N. Avers St.; Pulaski Park, 1419 W. Blackhawk St.; Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.; North Park Village Apt. Administration Building, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.; Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave.; Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.; Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave.

Kane County: Kane County clerk's office; Batavia and Elgin city halls; Carpentersville, Gilberts, Montgomery, North Aurora, South Elgin, West Dundee, Aurora, Dundee, Elgin, Rutland and St. Charles township offices.

Aurora: Aurora Election Commission.

DuPage County: Addison Township Office; Bartlett Community Center; Bloomingdale Golf Club; Downers Grove Village Hall; DuPage County Election Commission; Glen Ellyn Civic Center; Lisle Township assessor's office; Naperville Municipal Center; Winfield Township office; York Township office.

McHenry County: McHenry County Building; Algonquin, Grafton, McHenry and Nunda township offices.

Will County: Will County clerk's office; Braidwood and Naperville city halls; Beecher, Bolingbrook, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Manhattan, Minooka, Mokena, Monee, New Lenox, Park Forest, Plainfield, Romeoville, Steger, Tinley Park and University Park village halls; Crete, Homer and Lockport township offices.

Lake County: Antioch, Avon, Benton, Cuba, Ela, Fremont, Grant, Lake Villa, Libertyville, Moraine, Shields, Vernon, Warren, Wauconda, West Deerfield and Zion township offices; Antioch, Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lindenhurst and Vernon Hills village halls.