Early voting gets underway in south, southwest suburbs
More than 25,500 ballots cast, breaking opening day record from 2012 election
Hundreds of south and southwest suburban voters turned out Monday to cast ballots in advance of next month's elections.
At Tinley Park Village Hall, among the new suburban voting locations added this year, a couple of minor equipment glitches were the only blemishes on the first day of voting, village Clerk Pat Rea said.
“We're extremely pleased,” he said.
At times, the line of voters extended out the door of the Kallsen Center at village hall, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave., he said.
By the end of the day, 550 ballots had been cast at that location, according to Cook County Clerk David Orr's office.
Orr said there are 52 suburban early voting locations, up from 43 when early voting began for the presidential primary. As of 5 p.m., 25,564 ballots had been cast, surpassing the previous early voting opening day record of 13,779 ballots in the 2012 election.
Along with Tinley Park Village Hall, other new early voting sites in the south and southwest suburbs added this year include Prairie Trails Library, 8449 S. Moody Ave., Burbank; the Biela Senior Center, 4545 Midlothian Turnpike, Crestwood; and the Palos Hills Community Center, 8455 W. 103rd St., Palos Hills.
Orland Township's offices at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. in Orland Park was the top suburban voting site Monday, with 1,229 ballots cast.
Turnout on the first day of early voting was at least 20 percent higher compared with the first day of early voting in the 2012 presidential election, Supervisor Paul O'Grady said.
The office will be open for voting 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday, then 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the two Sundays before the Nov. 8 election.
Voting will be available 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 4.
Rea said voting at village hall will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Nov. 4; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 5; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 6.
A complete list of early voting locations and hours is at the clerk's website,
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