LINCOLN PARK — City residents can vote early in the Nov. 8 general election at any of the 51 early polling places through Nov. 7, but there are a couple of ready options in the Lincoln Park and Old Town areas.
With one early polling place open in each of the city's 50 wards, the Lincoln Park Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave., is designated for the 43rd Ward.
The Near North Library, 310 W. Division St., is the early polling place in the 2nd Ward.
The 51st Chicago early polling place is a so-called Loop Super Site with more than 100 voting machines at 15 W. Washington Blvd.
The polling places are open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Starting Monday, they'll be open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 6 and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 7.
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners emphasized that residents can register at any polling place, although they'll be required to vote at the same time. Those registering or changing a name or address should bring two forms of identification, at least one of which shows the current address.
Despite some confusion over a court decision halting Election Day registration in Illinois, that decision was overturned, and residents will be able to register and vote Nov. 8 at their designated polling place.
"We want the people who need to register to get it done now, when it’s on their terms — and not wait until Election Day when you have to go to your home precinct place and possibly encounter a line," election board Chairwoman Marisel Hernandez said.
Ward polling places opened Monday for early voting, but an earlier two-week voting period running from Oct. 10-23 exclusively at the Loop Super Site produced a record 23,200 early votes cast.
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