126 MILLION
The number of people who voted in the November 2004 election (a record high)
6 MILLION
Number of Americans living abroad who are eligible to vote in U.S. elections
100
Number of countries where Democrats Abroad, an official branch of the party representing overseas voters, will have polling places to hold its first global presidential preference primary (for a total of 11 delegates)
Illinois
7.5 MILLION
All-time high for voter registration in Illinois (2004 general election)
8%
Drop in the number of registered voters in DuPage County (about 48,000 fewer voters than in 2004)
7.17 MILLION
Number of Illinoisans registered to vote in the Feb. 5 primary election, a slight increase from four years ago
1.1 MILLION
Number of voter guides distributed by the Chicago Election Board in January
5,600
Number of new Cook County voters since August, attributed to a nationwide effort to register newly naturalized U.S. citizens
Early voting
35
Number of states that allow voters some option to cast ballots before Election Day
9%
Votes in the 2006 general election cast before Election Day (includes absentee voting)
81,827
Chicagoans who cast early-voting ballots for the 2008 primary elections, tripling the previous high of nearly 25,000 in November 2006
Help America Vote Act
$3 BILLION
Amount the Help America Vote Act commission has disbursed to the states since 2002 as part of its effort to improve election administration
60%
States that use private contractors to construct election systems, including connectivity and election management features
$145,158,864
Amount the HAVA commission has awarded to Illinois as part of HAVA’s effort to improve election administration 16 Number of states (including Illinois) that require manual audits of a certain percentage of both paper ballots as well as electronic machines to gauge the accuracy of voting and counting systems
Young voters
18
Minimum age required to be eligible to vote
77%
Young voters who said they are paying a “great deal” of attention to the 2008 presidential election
85%
Young voters who believe their individual vote counts
Electoral votes
538
Total number of electoral votes
270
Number of electoral votes needed to elect a president
21
Number of electoral votes for Illinois
35
Delegates
185
Number of Illinois delegates at the Democratic National Convention
4,049
total number of Democratic delegates
70
Number of Illinois delegates at the Republican National Convention
2,380
total number of Republican delegates
18
Number of delegates in each of the least populous states, Wyoming and Alaska
Tribune graphic by Mike Miner
