Early voting, vote-by-mail numbers trend higher as Illinois primary approaches

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Early voting numbers are trending up in Illinois before the state’s primary elections Tuesday.

Illinois State Board of Elections Public Information Officer Matt Dietrich told The Center Square on Friday that about 250,000 early votes had been cast, slightly higher than the state reported before the 2022 midterm.

Dietrich said he is seeing a strong response on vote by mail.

“In 2022 we had about 275,000 vote-by-mail ballots cast for the primary. We’re already at 290,000, and we’ll have quite a few of those coming in now and up until two weeks after Election Day that will still be added to that count,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich said the state does not track partisan turnout in its pre-election reporting, but Illinois generally sees more Democratic ballots than Republican ballots in primaries.

“I would expect that to continue this year, mainly because, first of all, you have a very hotly-contested U.S. Senate race,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich said open congressional seats would also draw voters.

The Chicago Board of Elections reported more than 123,000 ballots received as of Thursday night, up from under 71,000 five days before the 2022 primary.

The Chicago board would not provide a breakdown of votes by party without a Freedom of Information Act request.

Pike County Clerk/Recorder Natalie Roseberry said her county is set to have a higher early vote and vote-by-mail count than in 2024. Roseberry said the early partisan turnout of 83% Republican and 16% Democratic is within one or two percent of the county’s 2024 numbers.

Roseberry said she is not aware of voter integrity issues in Pike County.

“We know what the voter looks like. Sometimes they’re our neighbors, our friends, we went to school with them. It’s a lot easier in a smaller jurisdiction than being in a larger one where you might not have that familiarity,” Roseberry told The Center Square.

Roseberry said her office constantly verifies addresses and signatures and follows all state election laws and procedures to ensure the integrity and security of every election.

Dietrich said early voting continues through Monday.

Hours and locations are available at the State Board of Elections website.

Dietrich advised voters who still wish to vote by mail to have their ballots postmarked manually.