Voters Are Heading To Orland Township Early

ORLAND PARK, IL — Early voting opened at 53 suburban Cook County sites on Monday. A long line stretched outside the Orland Township 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 Orland Park was minimal, 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 arrived at 8:15 and submitted my ballot at 9:40. The line kept moving. The workers I encountered were kind and helpful. In my opinion, it was well orchestrated," one voter said. "Went this morning. Everything was running smoothly and met some nice people in line with me. About an hour wait but worth it," another voter said.

"I'm voting on Nov. 3 when all the polling places are open and after the last debate. I don't get the rush to vote early especially if you have to wait in a long line. I've never had a problem on voting day. Most I've ever had to wait is 5 minutes. That being said if the lines are super long on Nov 3, I will wait for hours and crawl over broken glass to vote if I have to," another voter said.

See what other voters experienced in line at the Township:

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 In Orland Park
Orland Park Voter Guide 2020