What to know about early voting in the primary election

Early voting kicks off Thursday in DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, giving residents more than a month to cast their ballots in person before primary election day.

Voters will weigh in on presidential and congressional races. They’ll also decide their party’s nominees for state legislative and county board seats.

Here’s a guide to where and how to vote early:

DuPage County

Election authorities have expanded the number of early voting sites in DuPage. Previously, the county fairgrounds in Wheaton was the only early voting center available 40 days out from Election Day.

Starting Thursday, early voting locations will open at the fairgrounds, the Naperville municipal center, the Addison Township offices, the Westmont Public Library and Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale. The mall’s early voting site is in the old T-Mobile store, near the upper-level Kohl’s entrance.

“We’ve put one in roughly each corner of the county in addition to the fairgrounds to just expand early voting access to more voters earlier in the process,” Chief Deputy County Clerk Adam Johnson said.

Election officials say it’s hard to predict early voting turnout, especially since Illinois falls later in the presidential primary calendar. DuPage saw more than 22,000 voters during the early voting period for the 2022 midterm primary election, the first using a new 100% paper voting system.

“That’s been fluctuating based on the cycle and the expansion of vote by mail,” Johnson said of the number of early voters, “but in-person early voting has been a very popular option.”

The county clerk’s office will operate another 20 early voting sites beginning Monday, March 4.

“More options just continues to increase voter access and voter turnout,” Johnson said.

Kane County

Early voting will be offered at the county clerk’s main office in Geneva and the Aurora satellite only on weekdays through March 1.

On March 4, early voting expands to include 25 sites. Of those, the following locations will be open seven days a week: the clerk’s offices in Geneva and Aurora; Carpentersville Fire Station No. 93; the Elgin Township office; the Gail Borden Library in Elgin; the Kane County Branch Court Conference Center in St. Charles; and the Vaughn Athletic Center in Aurora. Other sites will have varying dates and hours.

“As we are about to start what should be a very active 2024 election season, I want to encourage Kane County voters to consider using one of our many convenient early voting centers for the primary election,” County Clerk John Cunningham said in a statement.

Lake County

Voters may begin casting their in-person ballots Thursday in the lobby of the county’s main courthouse in Waukegan. The courthouse voting site will be open weekdays through March 1.

County-wide early voting opens at designated locations on March 4. Voters in Lake can show up to any early voting site regardless of where they live.

McHenry County

Early voting also begins Thursday at the county clerk’s office in Woodstock. Officials will conduct early voting in additional locations starting March 4.

Elsewhere

Early voting will get underway in suburban Cook County courthouses on Feb. 21. Municipal early voting sites -- including village halls in Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village and Mount Prospect -- will open on March 4. For a full listing, visit cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections.

Election Day is March 19.