Chicago Board of Elections expects early voting to match totals of 2016 presidential election

CHICAGO (WLS) -- With just five days to go until the election, early voting is making a strong showing in Chicago.

David Fletcher said it was his civic duty, as he cast his ballot.

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"The day of is going to be crazy and obviously getting it in; I'm pretty passionate about it. So, getting it in right away seems to feel right," Fletcher said.

The Chicago resident was among those voting early around the city.

"Just the urgency, I think that of any election, this one was most important with women's rights and other issues," Lawanna Marshall said.

Voters will make their choices for Cook County State's Attorney and congressional races, but the motivator for many has been the presidential election.

"This election is important. I wanted to make sure my vote counted, and there was no issue with rain, weather and all the lines. I wanted to make sure I got in as soon as possible," Jennifer Nolan said.

According to the Chicago Board of Elections, early voting this year could match totals of the pre-pandemic presidential election in 2016.

Their data show, as of Oct. 30, more than 320,000 ballots were received and reported.

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That's from earlier voters and people who sent their ballots by mail.

That's compared to almost 240,000 ballots received and reported in the 2016 presidential election.

The Chicago Board of Elections' Max Bever said early voting can be a determinant of turnout on Election Day.

"The high turnout we've seen in early voting and vote by mail also suggest we're going to see a high turnout for Election Day," Bever said.

Election officials say other counties are seeing high early voting numbers, too, as more and more people early vote every year.

The Chicago Board of Elections expects about 1.1 million registered voters to show up for elections in Chicago.

That's about 70% of the city registered voters.

There were already lines Thursday, but the Monday before Election Day traditionally is the busiest day for early voting.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5, Election Day, in order for them to count.

When asked about security, Chicago police said in a statement, "The Chicago Police Department will be adjusting resources as necessary leading up to and on Election Day. Additionally, while there is no actionable intelligence at this time, we will be paying special attention to polling places throughout the city on Election Day."