GOP Early Voting Ballots Up Compared to 2008

Republicans in suburban Cook County cast 44 percent more Early Voting ballots for Tuesday's Presidential Primary than during Early Voting in 2008, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Friday in a prepared statement.

Nearly 4,400 more Republicans participated during this Early Voting period, which ended Thursday, than did four years ago. GOP voters represented 38.6 percent of all early voting ballots cast, up from 19.4 percent in 2008.

Orr attributed the shift to two factors. "We have an uncontested Democratic presidential race in Illinois, so Democrats are not as motivated to participate," Orr said in his statement. "Meanwhile Republican voters are pleasantly surprised to have a say in the GOP presidential contest."

In the last presidential primary, only Barrington Township voted a majority Republican. During this Early Voting period, 11 of 30 suburban townships had more Republicans than Democrats casting ballots. They are Barrington (78 percent Republican), Lemont (71 percent), Palatine (69 percent), Wheeling (61 percent), Orland (59 percent), Palos (58 percent), Leyden (58 percent), Elk Grove (57 percent), Maine (56 percent), Hanover (52 percent) and New Trier (50.1 percent).

Democratic Early Voting participation dropped 45 percent when compared with the last presidential election.

Early Voting peaked in the final four days; 14,432 votes or 39 percent of the 36,990 ballots were cast between Monday and Thursday.

The majority—71 percent—of early voters were older than 55. Only 7 percent of early voters were ages 18 to 34. Women made up 54 percent of all early voters.

While Early Voting participation was higher than the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election, turnout dipped from the 2008 Presidential Primary when more than 51,000 suburban voters cast early votes.

A daily breakdown of Early Voting turnout by site is available at cookcountyclerk.com.

A map illustrating Early Voting by Voters' Home Precincts is also online.

Other online information

At cookcountyclerk.com, view a complete ballot, polling locations by township, and precinct maps by township. Voters can also use the Voter Information Tool to check their registration status and find their polling place.