MCHENRY COU TY, IL — Voting is off to a slow start as local election officials say few contested races this primary is likely to blame for the low turnout.
As of Friday, 5,347 votes had been cast in McHenry County, and turnout “feels lower” than in past primary elections, McHenry County Clerk Joseph Tirio told Patch.
“I think this is due largely to how few contested races there are and the lack of meaningful competition (for the most part) in those races,” Tirio wrote in an email response on Friday. While it’s not possible to calculate if voter turnout is lower compared to past elections, since daily running totals are not calculate for primary races, last primary election saw a total turnout of over 42,000 voters in McHenry County.
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Some of the more publicized local races, including McHenry County State’s Attorney, Coroner and Court Clerk are not contested this election. A couple of county board seats are including: the Republican seat for District 3, where Robert “Bob” Novak will square off against Eric Hendricks; and District 7, where Paul Thomas will face Peter Suffield in the Republican primary race.
Early voting got underway in McHenry County in recent weeks. On Monday, ten additional early voting locations opened across the county. The full list of locations can be found on the county clerk’s website. Early voting will be available until 7 p.m. the night before the primary at six of the
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Tirio touted the benefits of voting early instead of waiting until the March 19 primary election.
“Voting early is a great way to get in and out quickly. There are hardly ever any lines and you can go to any of our 11 sites county-wide to vote. Just a reminder that ID is usually not required to vote, but it will speed up the process,” he said. “Presenting your Voter Registration card, or State-issued Driver’s License or ID will help the Election judge find you quickly and help your fellow voters by allowing them to get on with their day sooner.”
People wishing to vote in person on election day must do so at their assigned voting precinct, but they can also vote at the county clerk’s Office, which is a universal polling site.
You can find your polling place by calling 815-334-4242 or by using the polling place locator on the county clerk’s website; the locator also can generate a sample ballot so that you can see every race and referendum that you will be asked to help decide.
People who wish to vote by mail have until March 14 to request a ballot for the primary; the form can be found on the website. Vote-by-mail ballots can be mailed in, delivered in person, or dropped off at any time at the secure ballot drop box in front of the County Administration Building
. Four additional early voting locations have indoor drop boxes that are accessible during voting hours. Voters who fill out a vote-by-mail ballot and then change their mind and decide to vote in person can do so by simply bringing their vote-by-mail ballot with them to the polls and surrendering it to the Election Judge.
If you’re not registered to vote, or you changed your address since the last election, you can register in person while you vote at the polls, according to a news release from the county clerk’s office.
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