Voters Are Heading To Prairie State College Early

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Early voting opened at 53 suburban Cook County sites on Monday. A long line stretched outside the Prairie State College as voters waited to be admitted into the building to exercise their right to vote.

As of early Thursday morning, more than 70,500 Cook County voters had voted early in person and more than 546,000 voters had already returned their mail-in ballots, according to data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

On Thursdays morning, the wait time to vote in Prairie State College was 20-30 minutes, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office. Some voters who already waited in line said it was worth the wait.

Patch asked voters how long they're willing to wait in line. Here's what some voters said:

"I waited over two hours," one voter said. "I came out to vote because it is my civic duty and I am excited to get my vote in early," another voter said.

Some voters said they came to the college to vote because other locations had lines that were too long. Some elderly voters said they struggled to stay standing for too long.

See what other voters experienced at Prairie State College while voting:

Should you change your mind at the last minute about whom you voted for before submitting your mail-in ballot in the drop box, get in line. You can still vote for your candidate at a polling place.

Suburban Cook County sites are open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, through Nov. 2, the day before election day on Nov. 3.
To find out how long of wait there is to vote at an early voting site, check the Cook County Clerk's Early Voting Wait Time Viewer. Be prepared to wait in line if voting early, and dress for the weather.

If you have requested a mail ballot from the Cook County Clerk, there is no need for further action on your part. The office is currently processing these applications and began mailing ballots to voters on Sept. 24. To check on the status of your mail ballot, please visit Cook County Clerk Voter Info and click the "What Is My Mail Ballot Status" tab.

Related:
Tell Patch If You See Election Shenanigans
Voter Guide 2020