Thousands of residents across the Fox Valley have turned out to vote before Election Day on Tuesday.
In Aurora alone, nearly 6,800 people had already voted by Friday afternoon, Aurora Election Commission Executive Director Linda Fechner said. Elsewhere in Kane County, Clerk John Cunningham said more than 52,200 people — about 21 percent of registered voters — had voted.
Cunningham, whose office has been encouraging voters to come out early, said those numbers were “above expectations.”
Fechner said she anticipated early voters in the areas covered by the Aurora Election Commission to exceed the number who voted before Election Day last year. Officials won’t know until after the election whether early voters are new voters or are typical voters who are simply choosing a new method of voting, she said.
“It’s spectacular the amount of people voting, beyond expected,” Cunningham said. “More than we’ve ever had before.”
Cunningham said his office has been pushing early voting to cut down lines and confusion on Election Day. The Kane County clerk’s office also has had a “mobile precinct” where people can vote. It has often been parked in grocery store parking lots, Cunningham said, but it won’t be out on Election Day.
Voters in Aurora and across Kane County will be able to register to vote on Election Day with the proper documents. Cunningham said that tends to make lines longer, so his office is preparing to have additional staff and signs in polling places on Election Day. Voters don’t have to show a state identification to cast a ballot, but he said presenting a driver’s license while registering to vote will make the registration process quicker.
Kendall County Clerk Debbie Gillette did not return a message from The Beacon-News.
Both Cunningham and Fechner said they had no widespread reports of serious issues during early voting. Cunningham said his office has received calls, but they were often technical issues. Fechner said her office, too, has received calls, including one report of a resident who had trouble casting a vote, but that issue was soon resolved.
The Aurora Election Commission took heat after the March primary election, when then-Mayor Tom Weisner called for the commission’s elimination in part because he said the commission did not post election results online in a timely fashion.
Fechner said the results were posted online by 11 p.m. the night of the primary election, and results are typically posted as soon as precinct results come in.
Early voting in Aurora and Kane County will continue over the weekend and will run until polls close Monday evening. Polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Kane County state’s attorney’s office will have an election complaint line available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters who observe or experience problems or irregularities, such as electioneering, illegally placed campaign signs or denial of voting rights in a county voting precinct, should call 630-208-5328.
Twitter @srfreish
