CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The head of the Chicago Elections Board suggests the number of people voting by mail and voting early isn’t just breaking records, it’s obliterating them.
Marisel Hernandez, who chairs the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said voting by mail amid coronavirus concerns is way ahead of any other presidential election year.
"The previous record, actually, was for the 2016 presidential election, and we had 94,000 vote-by-mail ballots cast. Today, we have over 402,000 vote-by-mail ballots cast, so that is, that is just great," she said.
Hernandez said more than half a million vote-by-mail ballots were requested.
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But, what if you haven’t gotten a notice online or by email that your mail ballot has been received?
"The voter has the option to go to an early voting site today or tomorrow...let the judge know, 'I have not received confirmation' and the voter will have to sign a certification and will be able to vote provisionally," Hernandez said.
She said whichever ballot arrives first is the one that will be counted.
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Back in 2016, Hernandez said 325,000 Chicagoans voted early. With two days of early voting to go, she said 354,000 people have already been to the polls.
And she said there are options for those who haven’t voted or even registered yet.
"Every Chicago early voting site has a vote-by-mail drop box. Every Chicago early voting site offers same-day voter registration. And every Chicago early voting site will also be open on Election Day," Hernandez said.
Those wishing to register to vote on Election Day can do so with two pieces of identification, one with your name and address.
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Hernandez said enough people have volunteered to be election judges, and protective equipment and procedures are in place to keep them, and all the expected voters safe.
And officials expect big crowds—masked and socially distancing, she urges—to show up on Election Day.