Voting is about to get underway for the primaries in Iowa and Illinois. In-person early voting in Iowa begins on Wednesday, May 18, and it starts on Thursday, May 19, for Illinois.
Election Day for the Iowa primary is around the usual time. This year it’s on June 7.
In Illinois, the primary will be on June 28, which is about three months later than usual. As a result, McDonough County Clerk Gretchen DeJaynes is not expecting a large turnout.
“I would assume there’s going to be less interest because it’s summertime, kids are out of school, you’re looking at vacations. I think people are maybe a little busier in the summer than they are in March. But we’ll see,” DeJaynes said.
She said early voting can be done at the county courthouse from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. In addition, it will be open from 9:00 a.m. to noon on the two Saturdays immediately before the primary, which are June 18 and June 25.
DeJaynes said the percentage of voters casting ballots ahead of Election Day increases with each election.
“Early voting is becoming the norm, not the unusual,” she said.
In addition, she said early voters can mail in their ballot or place it in the ballot drop box outside the courthouse. She said the drop box is secure and will be under video surveillance.
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