Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 29, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* The Daily Herald…
Early voting totals in suburban Cook County are running more than 30% ahead of the pace set in the 2022 midterm elections, the county clerk’s office reported Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, 139,000 voters had cast early ballots in the Cook suburbs for the Nov. 3 election, a 30.4% increase over the 106,615 at the same point four years ago.
“We are absolutely thrilled to see so many voters taking advantage of Early Voting, and we hope that momentum continues up to and including Election Day,” Clerk Monica Gordon said in an announcement of the totals. […]
The clerk’s office also reported that 83,700 mail ballots had been returned as of Monday, with an additional 9,761 being tracked through the U.S. Postal Service delivery process.
According to yesterday’s update from the Illinois State Board of Elections, 47.5 percent of mail-in ballots have been returned and 603,142 early votes have been cast.
* The Question: Have you voted yet? If so, did you vote by mail or in person? If not, how do you plan to vote? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments.
- Anon62704 - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 9:57 am:
Returned my mail ballot weeks ago in a secure drop box.
- Sox Fan - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:03 am:
Voted in person at the Loop supersite yesterday. I (probably irrationally) don’t trust that VBM is safe from government interference.
- just because - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:07 am:
sometimes by voting early you get taken off the list by those who do GOTV. Plus it is done and you do not have to pay attention to any ads
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:07 am:
I feel most comfortable and confident my vote will count by voting in person on Election Day. I think at some point in-person voting on Election Day will be like using a rotary phone - still available but seldom used.
- Pundent - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:07 am:
Early in person. While I’m hoping there aren’t any shenanigans through other methods why leave anything to chance?
- Old Guy - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:09 am:
My wife and I voted early and dropped the ballot in the drop box. No need to mess w/ USPS
- Pork Belly Futures - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:11 am:
Hard for the missus to get time on election day so we like the convenience of choosing our time to in-person early vote. We live in a targeted district with women and swing voters. Hopefully all the mail will stop.
- Amalia - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:13 am:
Ballot delivered last week to a voting center. I like filling out the ballot at home. easier to study judges.
- Norseman - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:18 am:
Voting on the day because I now live in a red state and paranoid about possible games with “No excuse absentee ballots”.
In IL, I would have already voted.
- JoanP - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:19 am:
I generally prefer voting in person on Election Day, but I’ll be out of the country, so I dropped off my mail ballot last week.
- RiverNorthGuy - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:19 am:
Voted via absentee ballot and delivered to a voting center last weekend. I normally vote early in person, but my wife likes doing absentee so I switched. Also wouldn’t trust USPS to return my ballot on time given how much they’ve been deliberately dismantled and tampered with the last nearly 2 years.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:20 am:
VBM for life, and will always drop my ballot off in the receptacle by the courthouse.
- Think Again - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:22 am:
Early in person at the local library - super convenient. I enjoy talking to judges from both parties who guarantee a fair process, plus I like actually seeing my ballot get counted.
- Behind the Scenes - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:24 am:
Voting early tomorrow at the Clerk’s Office. I’m having an out-patient surgical procedure on Monday, but why take the chance? First time ever to vote early and not in person on Election Day.
- Give us Barrabbas - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:24 am:
Mrs. Barabbas and I used the drop box at the county building for our mail-in ballots to save on postage.did it a week ago.
- @misterjayem - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:24 am:
I take my mail-in ballot (paper is a proven technology) and place it in the drop box at the court house (the postmaster general is untrustworthy).
– MrJM
- Derek Smalls - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 10:27 am:
Voted early in person. Easy to fit it into my schedule and an early voting site is just a few blocks from my house. Haven’t voted in person on Election Day since early voting came into effect.