Low Voter Turnout So Far In Lake County As Election Day Nears

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The 2024 presidential election seems like it's not far behind us, but Lake County residents can now head to the polls again — this time to make their picks for leaders on local village board, school board and township boards.

Some cities and village will also have mayoral races up for election this spring.

Spring local elections typically see a low voter turnout compared to the highly publicized presidential or fall statewide elections, but your vote in the spring for local leaders could make a big difference in your day-to-day life. Local candidates are tasked with voting on measures that impact development, polices in our towns and schools and much more.

• Assigned Polling Places Swapped For 'Vote-Center Model' In Lake County
• Early Voting Gets Underway Across Lake County

Early voting opened up countywide on Monday, March 17, and will end on Monday, which is the day before the April 1 Election Day. A full list of early voting sites and hours of operation can be found here.

As of Monday, 6,715 voters have cast their ballot early at a polling place in the county, and 10,833 voters have cast a vote-by-mail ballot, Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega told Patch. This means only 1.3 percent of the total registered voters have cast their ballot so far this spring election, according to unofficial vote tallies.

Here is a look at past elections and early voting and Election Day tallies for spring elections:

• In 2023: 12,512 voters cast their ballot during early voting. Meanwhile, 6,031 voters cast a vote by mail ballot on or before Election Day and 27,748 voters cast their ballot on Election Day. In total, 7,301 voters voted a valid vote by mail or provisional ballot that was counted after Election Day.
• In 2021, 16,550 voters cast their ballot during early voting, 10,098 voter cast a vote by mail ballot on or before Election Day and 39,816 voters cast their ballot on Election Day. Meanwhile, 1,804 voters voted a valid Vote by Mail or provisional ballot that was counted after Election Day.
• In 2019, 12,153 voters cast their ballot during early voting, 4,668 voters cast a vote by mail ballot on or before Election Day and 33,247 voters cast their ballot on Election Day. After Election Day, 776 voters voted a valid Vote by Mail or provisional ballot.
• In 2017, 15,621 voters cast their ballot during early voting, 5,117 voters cast a vote by mail ballot on or before Election Day and 47,608 voters cast their ballot on Election Day. In total, 1,210 voters voted a valid vote by mail or provisional ballot that was counted after Election Day.

New this spring is the Lake County Clerk's voter turnout dashboard where anyone can visit to see the unofficial voting tally this spring election.

The voter turnout numbers are "broken down by precinct, early voting location, by day and even broken down by age," Vega said.

Where Do I Vote On Election Day?

On Election Day, April 1, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 1. You can vote at your preferred voting site or at any registered voting site, which is new this year under the county clerk's switch to a vote-center model for voting.

• Read more: Assigned Polling Places Swapped For 'Vote-Center Model' In Lake County

What Do I Need To Know About Voting By Mail

Beginning 90 days before the election, the applications are available to submit online here: LakeVoterPower.info. You can also print a personalized PDF form to mail.

According to the clerk's office, an electronic application will allow for the fastest processing method. You can complete an electronic application by selecting “Electronic Request” after log in and follow the prompts through to “Submit Request.” Your signature is not required, and you must complete an attestation.

If you wish to print and mail a personalized application to the Lake County Clerk’s office, select “Paper Form” after log in. Print, complete, sign, and mail or deliver your application to the Lake County Clerk’s office.

Here are other ways you can obtain a mail-in ballot:

• Downloading and completing this form before mailing it to the Lake County Clerk's office
• Calling the Lake County Clerk's Voting by Mail Department at 847-377-VOTE
• Emailing your name, address, and date of birth to votingbymail@lakecountyil.gov.

Ballots are mailed starting 40 days before Election Day.

The Lake County Clerk’s office must receive your completed ballot application by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day, your voted ballot must be hand delivered to the Lake County Clerk's office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or it may be returned via mail with a postmark no later than Election Day and received at the Lake County Clerk's office no later than 14 days after Election Day.

You can track the Lake County Clerk’s receipt of your application and voted ballot at LakeVoterPower.info. You can apply for permanent vote-by-mail status here.

Need More Information?

The Lake County Clerk's Office Vote Power website is a great resource for all things election-related. Check it out here.