 And that's just what is happening across Illinois as local political
parties refine their approach to early and absentee voting.Voters
in Illinois have been able to request an absentee ballot since Sept.
23, and they'll be able to vote early in person starting Oct. 11.
Voters have the right to a pre-Election Day ballot without needing a
reason. And since 2006, when early voting became an option, early
voting turnout has steadily grown.
Mark Guethle, Kane County Democratic chairman, said he's seen
more and more of the county's 400,000 voters cast an early or
absentee ballot.
"From '06 to '08 it's increased -- I want to say 10 percent. I
know that we had 40,000 votes cast (as) early votes in '08," he
said.
Guethle said lifting restrictions and making early voting more
accessible has gone a long way to making it popular. But that
popularity is also impacting how he has to do his job. Guethle is
already having to send campaign troops out to "get out the vote."
"We have about 150 committeemen, and about half of them will go
out this Saturday and canvass their precinct. ... Part of that
script will be we have early voting, which starts Oct.12th and goes
through the 28th. Or if you can't get to the polls on Election Day,
there is the option of absentee," he said.
It is more work for local political parties to work a longer
voting season. But David McBride with the Woodford County Democratic
Committee said there's also a lot more time to get out the early and
absentee vote.
"I think it helps voter turnout; I think it gives you more time
to contact people. I like it. You can (be) more leisurely; you don't
have to make that big push," he said.
Rudy Lewis with Peoria County's Republican Committee adds that
there are new calculations to be made. He's already having to
fine-tune his strategy and message.
"What we try to do is get our message out well before the early
voting starts. ... We work on supporting our state legislators and
making sure that constitutional candidates get their signs up and
are in strategic locations to have the maximum impact," he said.
Lewis said that's work that previously could be done in October,
not early and mid-September.
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Mary Simons from the Republican Party in DeKalb County said the
candidates are also having to move up their get-out-the vote
messages.
"Some of the candidates are sending out postcards on their own.
We're trying to keep a very close watch on the voter registration
list for new people coming into the area and to make people who have
moved aware that their voting places have changed. We want to
encourage early and absentee voting," she said.
Lewis, from Peoria County, said encouraging early and absentee
voting makes the math of Election Day a bit easier.
"The process of elimination. If 30 percent of people have already
voted, that leaves you only 70 percent to concentrate on," he said.
But Lewis is quick to say early voting in Peoria County is closer
to 15 percent. Double-digit percentages seem to be common across the
state.
Even down in tiny Saline County, Republican chief Robert Holmes
said close to 20 percent of people vote early.
"In our county of about 18,000 registered voters, we're looking
at 1,000 absentees and you're looking at another 1,900 early
voters," he said.
Holmes said he's come up with a plan to get more of those early
votes for the Republicans this year.
But next door in Gallatin County, Democratic chairman Hugh Scates
said he's not going to worry too much about early and absentee
voting. Scates said Gallatin County has a strong turnout, and a
strong Democratic turnout, on the real Election Day.
"We do most of (our work) on Election Day. We'll hire some cars
and have people get out and get the vote out," he said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT] |
