Write-in candidate list for April 7 finalized

Early Voting ends tomorrow; About 20,000 voters have cast ballots

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Forty-four people have completed the necessary steps to become official write-in candidates for the April 7 election, Cook County Clerk David Orr said Wednesday. The candidates are seeking 34 different offices from mayor to township assessor, village clerk to park board commissioner.

In suburban Cook County, write-in candidates had to submit a Write-in Candidate Declaration of Intent form at the Cook County Clerk's downtown Chicago office (69 W. Washington St., Fifth floor). The Clerk's office provides a list of eligible write-in candidates to each precinct on Election Day. Election judges use the list to determine write-in candidates who are eligible to have their votes counted.

Voters can vote for a write-in candidate on an optical scan ballot or a touch-screen machine. While the correct spelling of a candidate's name is preferred, election judges are instructed to accept a vote if the intent of their choice can be inferred from the spelling.

Early Voting ends tomorrow
Suburban Cook County voters have just one more day to participate in early voting for the April 7 election. Early Voting ends tomorrow, April 2, at 5 p.m. A complete list of Early Voting locations is available at voterinfonet.com.

Those choosing to vote early do not need to provide a reason or excuse. Early voters are required to display valid identification before voting, such as a current driver's license, state-issued ID card or another government-issued photo ID.

Through the end of Tuesday, about 20,000 people voted early. Five Early Voting locations have served more than 1,000 voters: Orland Park (1,693); Melrose Park (1,345); Northbrook (1,159); Evanston (1,068); and Oak Lawn (1,042). Final Early Voting totals will be available online.

Media credentials
News reporters, photographers and TV crews need media credentials when entering a polling place on Tuesday. Credentials are available at the Clerk's office. Credentials can also be emailed in PDF format by request. Please make requests to cgreve@cookcountygov.com.

If you are a member of the media, please contact:

Courtney Greve

Back to Home Page | More News