Cook County Clerk: Republican Early Voting Participation Up 77% over 2008 Primary

Illinois may not have the flashiest of presidential primaries, but that's not stopping Cook County Republicans from turning out to cast early ballots in the March 20 election.

In the first 10 days of early voting, 6,270 Republicans have cast ballots, according to the Cook County Clerk David Orr's Office. That's a 77 percent increase over the same period in the 2008 presidential primary.

Republican voters represent 38.1 percent of total early voting participation to date, according to the clerk's office. At the same point in early voting for the 2008 primary, Republican voters represented only 19.6 of all ballots cast.

Democrats still dominate the early voting, with more than 10,000 votes cast in the county. That's 4,500 less than voted at this point in the 2008 race, the clerk's office said.

At the , a total of 311 votes had been cast as of Thursday evening, according to the clerk's office's running total.

Orland Park Village Hall has seen the most early voting in Cook County, with more than 1,000 ballots cast.

Early voting continues through March 15. In the south suburbs, voters can cast ballots at any of these locations:

• Chicago Heights City Hall
  1601 Chicago Road, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• 
  50 E. Wend St., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oak Forest City Hall
  15440 S. Central Ave., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oak Lawn Village Hall
  9446 S. Raymond Ave., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Orland Park Village Hall
  14700 Ravinia Ave., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Palos Heights Administration Building
  7607 W. College Dr., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Bridgeview Courthouse
  10220 S. 76th Ave., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Markham Courthouse
  16501 S. Kedzie Ave., Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More locations are listed on the Cook County Clerk's website.

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