Early voting for primary closes Saturday

Early voting for the March 18 primary election ends at 5 p.m. Saturday — and Arlington Heights Village Hall is among the three busiest sites, the Cook County Clerk's Office said Thursday.

There are 42 suburban early voting sites, or voters can use the clerk's downtown Chicago office.

Through the end of Wednesday, 21,016 suburbanites have voted, 47 percent of whom have taken Republican ballots — up from 35 percent in the 2010 primary.

• 87 percent of Barrington Township early voters have cast Republican ballots.

• 77 percent of early voters are 55 and older.

Voters from Proviso, Thornton and Orland townships have come out in the greatest numbers, while the busiest sites are Orland Township, Arlington Heights Village Hall and Melrose Park Village Hall.

All early voting sites are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Many locations will also be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.

Early voters must have valid photo identification: a driver's license, state-issued ID card or another government-issued ID with a photograph.

To find early voting locations, visit the elections page at www.cookcountyclerk.com.