Mid-morning precinct reports
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* What have you been seeing out there so far today at your polling place? Any shenanigans on St. Patrick’s Day? How are the crowds, the weather, etc.? Please let us know at least approximately where you are. Thanks!
…Adding… Tribune…
Turnout for early and mail voting in Chicago outpaced that in prior years’ midterm primaries, officials said Tuesday morning as voters began to trickle into precincts to culminate an expensive election season. […]
As of Monday night, nearly 190,000 people in the city of Chicago had already voted either by mail or through early voting, according to data from the Chicago Board of Elections.
That’s more than 72,000 votes ahead of the early vote count in the same time frame during the primary election on June 28, 2022, which saw a city voter turnout that year of around 23%.
In suburban Cook County, more than 108,000 people cast their ballots early as of Monday, exceeding early vote totals during the last two gubernatorial primaries in 2022 and 2018, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
- Ringo Rossi - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:47 am:
I just voted at 10:30am in the west burbs and I was voter #32 to cast a vote. There was no waiting or line to vote. The temperature outside was 17 degrees when I went to vote.
- Suburbs - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:57 am:
Just voted in Cook NW suburbs. No line. Judges said it’s very slow. No congressional race here.
- Statehouse Staffer - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:58 am:
East side of Springfield. I was the 10th person of the day at my polling place at 8am, and it serves two precincts.
- Voter - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:02 am:
It’s been slow in the Chicago suburbs. I think there’s low turn out because of the cold. Tough day to be a poll watcher. Not envious at all of those out there
- Joseph M - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:03 am:
Nothing unusual at my precinct in Lakeview Chicago around 8am. No line but a steady flow of voters. I passed by 4 other voting locations this morning and it looked like there were around 2-5 greeters per location, but no lines.
- Oklahoma - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:10 am:
Keep in mind for the Chicago races that there is no school today. That was intentional to give an election day off. However, I think that likely depresses day-of turnout on a bitter cold day.
- StarLineChicago - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:14 am:
Voted in suburban Cook (in IL-07) at 8:30 this morning. Handful of other voters there but no lines, in and out in five minutes. Overheard someone say something about missing required “no electioneering” signs, but no observed shenanigans.
- Meh - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:17 am:
Il-08, went in at 9am. I was the only one there. Judges said they had a handful of folks at 6am, then another few at 8am. Disappoints to see low turnout. We even have a congressional seat up for grabs.
- Stuart - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:24 am:
Voted at 1030am @ Clearing Library on sw side….13th Ward….no line whatsoever. Amazing you no longer see any Lawn Signs in the neighborhood…or any poll watchers….looks like a ghost town compared to when Mike Madigan was running the Ward. Sign of the times.
- Katie - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:35 am:
Voted in Andersonville a little after 10 and my polling place had so little traffic and so few signs that I almost went to check if I was supposed to use a different entrance this year. I am used to having to turn down campaign literature!
- Concerned Observer - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:40 am:
Northern Will County. 11:25 AM. Ballot number 48. Very slow. However, I was at the library first, also a polling place, and it seemed busier.
Schools are out here too, and I have a theory that the decision to close schools actually pushes more people to vote early or by mail. If you’re willing to pull your kids from one day of instruction (Monday)…presto, a 4-day weekend. An aide at my 5th-grader’s school told me they were at about 60% attendance yesterday, either because of illness or absence.
- Nitemayor - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:52 am:
NW Madison County 21 degrees cloudy. 54 voted out of 605 registered. SLOW!Contested Congressional on both sides. Looks like 20-25% turnout.
- Vamos - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:20 pm:
#67 in my Avondale precinct at 10:30 a.m.
- Wildcat - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:25 pm:
Passed at a location that has 6 precincts vote at it. Saw 34 go into vote during the hour I was there.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:26 pm:
===Passed at a location===
Please include your approximate location.
- rnug - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:28 pm:
SW side of Springfield. Slow, averaging 4 voters an hour in the precinct I’m working.
There were a number of early and mail-in.
Other precincts at the same polling place are also slow.
- Abe - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:39 pm:
I just dropped off my mail-in ballot at the 69 W Washington Chicago drop box and there was a steady stream of folks doing likewise
- Wildcat - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:45 pm:
=== Please include your approximate location.===
Dundee Township
- Leslie K - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:58 pm:
I’ll be voting in a couple hours (NWside Chicago), but wanted to add a comment now to those who have noted that some schools are closed today and that could be intended to encourage or discourage voting.
Part of the issue regarding schools is that, in any given community, they are most likely to be physically accessible to those with physical disabilities (aka ADA compliant). The concern about general public access to schools to ensure voting rights for the disabled is balanced by giving the option for schools/districts to close for the day.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
Shutting this thread down. Fresh thread here: https://capitolfax.com/2026/03/17/early-afternoon-precinct-reports-and-some-news-updates/