McDonough County Clerk Gretchen DeJaynes said voters were at her office when the doors opened at 8:00 am for the first day of early voting on October 22.
DeJaynes said early voting should help ease the rush on election day (November 6).
“I do not think we will have lines for election day. Really the only places that we have ever had lines are in the college precincts and early voting at the university has cured that problem,” DeJaynes said.
DeJaynes said “no excuses” absentee voting started in late September, which allows even more people to cast ballots before election day.
McDonough County voters can cast ballots early in the basement of the courthouse, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm weekdays. The office will also be open the next two Saturdays (October 27 and November 3) from 9:00 am to noon.
In addition, early voting can be done at the Western Illinois University Union October 22 – October 25 and October 29 – November 1, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The Illinois State Board of Elections has information here on where early voting is offered in every election jurisdiction in the state.
Those who wish to vote early must present some sort of identification.