Early voting idea becomes a success

As Illinois' chief proponent of early voting, I applaud the Feb. 26 editorial ("Don't rush changes in early voting") for highlighting early voting's successes and pointing to potential improvements.

Yes, there is always a risk that something could happen after early voters cast their ballots, such as a candidate's sudden death or withdrawal from their race. But clearly voters believe the convenience early voting affords is a fair trade-off.

Nearly 51,000 suburban Cook County voters cast their ballots early for the Feb. 5th presidential primary, 59 percent more than our last big election in November 2006. And 99 percent of voters gave their experience high ratings, with half citing convenience and avoiding crowds.

On a related note, I also support shifting the early voting window closer to Election Day because voters would benefit.

My goal has always been to provide voters with busy schedules more opportunities to cast their ballot. Ours is one of the only democracies in the world that votes on a working day. It's no wonder that early voting strikes a chord with voters, and I predict its appeal will only grow.

David Orr

Cook County Clerk

Chicago