Candidates for the March 15 primary still have more than a month to persuade potential voters. The voters themselves face a much tighter deadline.
Chicago and suburban Cook County residents who haven’t registered to vote must do so by Tuesday. Those in the collar counties must register by Monday.
In Chicago alone, there are “about 400,000 people out there who could vote but haven’t qualified to by registering,” said Tom Leach, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Chicago residents will have their best chance to correct that situation this weekend, when the city will have 500 registration sites-10 in each ward-open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Leach said. Sites will include churches, shopping centers, department stores, restaurants and Park District field houses.
In addition, Jewel, Dominick’s and Omni supermarkets will be taking registration during those same hours. And about 4,000 volunteer deputy registrars will be taking registrations through Tuesday, Leach said.
To register, a person must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and have two pieces of identification, including one with a home address.
The Chicago Public Library, including branches, will be taking registrations through Tuesday during business hours. And a registration booth will be open in the lobby of City Hall from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
In suburban Cook County, Jewel, Dominick’s and Omni supermarkets will offer voter registration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday only, said Ryan Chew of the Cook County clerk’s office.
Cook County voters can also register during regular hours Monday and Tuesday at many governmental offices.
Du Page County voters can register through Monday at city, village and township offices and most libraries during regular business hours. Voters also can register at the county Board of Election Commissioners, 421 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton, from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday or from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday.
For more information about voter registration sites, call 708- 682-7440 or TDD 708-682-7044.
Voters in other collar counties can call their county clerk’s office on Monday for registration information: 708-232-5990 in Kane County, 708-897-4030 in Aurora, 708-360-6628 in Lake County and 815-740-4615 in Will County.
The McHenry County clerk’s office will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. And voters can call 815-334-4242 to find out the closest place to register.
Domestic violence: Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Aurelia Pucinski turned the focus of her campaign for County Board president on the issue of domestic violence Friday, recommending that the county expand its crisis intervention program to all its health facilities.
Currently the county offers counseling to domestic violence victims at County Hospital, but Pucinski suggested those who use the county’s health clinics as well as Provident and Oak Forest Hospitals should also be able to avail themselves of the services.
Pucinski’s plan calls for hiring 25 workers, including a coordinator and 15 counselors, at a cost of nearly $500,000. She said she would adopt the program if elected, but said she had no plans to immediately bring the program before the County Board.
She is facing Commissioners John Stroger and Maria Pappas in the March 15 Democratic primary.
