Close races, ballot questions, and even football may be the reasons behind strong early voting numbers in Illinois this year.
Jo Ann Carretto is the LaSalle County Clerk. She says early voting is up by a few hundred votes compared to four years ago, but not quite as high as it was for the 2012 presidential election.
Part of the reason, she says, could be a few close races in the county. Voters will also get to weigh in on the minimum wage. Carretto says there was a line of people waiting to vote Sunday afternoon.
"We processed 134 voters in three hours."
She says her office had the advantage of being open during a bye week for local football fans.
"We had no conflict with Bears playing football or the Packers playing football because they were both off. Which, in hindsight, makes me look like a genius when I picked those times."
As far as looking to Election Day, Carretto says she's hoping for 48-50% turnout.
"I would love to be wrong, that it would be higher, but given the past midterms and everything, our numbers are solid upper 40s in LaSalle County."
Early voting ended Sunday.
DeKalb County
Early voting: 2,947*
LaSalle County
Early voting: 1,594
Stephenson County
Early voting: 1,341
Whiteside County
Early voting: 813
*includes grace period votes
