A week after the election, early voting numbers continue to rise

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) – Whether voting in person or by mail, a large number of people are casting their ballots before Election Day.

Data from the Illinois State Board of Elections shows that in the week ending Nov. 5, nearly 975,000 people voted in person and 667,000 people mailed their ballots. For many early voters, these high numbers were not surprising.

“Yes, the convenience really helps,” Ben Brown said. “I would prefer to have a day where everyone votes, but since that won’t be the case, it’s a good benefit here.”

Several voters who spoke with WCIA said convenience was the main reason they voted in advance.

“I think for most people, because of COVID and things like that, the convenience of dropping off the ballot boxes is also convenient,” said Rob Staff, a Springfield resident.

Others were anxious and just wanted to cast their votes because they couldn’t wait for Election Day.

“A lot of times we vote on Election Day, but we really wanted to get in here and get our votes posted,” said Dan Ewing, a voter from Sangamon County.

“We want to make sure our votes are saved,” said Springfield voter Bonnie Ford.

The pandemic has done a lot to get people to vote early. While it is unclear whether the 2024 election totals will exceed those of 2020, Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray expects the trends to continue.

“I could never have imagined how quickly we have modernized our elections, how we have invested in non-traditional ways of delivering ballots like mail-in voting or early voting,” Gray said. “We have come a tremendously long way in providing quality and great services in ballot casting than ever before. And I think we’re watching this evolution. We see this growing.”

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