Early Voting Now Open; Same-Day Registration Halted by Judge

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Published on September 30 2016 9:26 am
Last Updated on September 30 2016 9:26 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Election Day is November 8, just a little over one month away.

Elections always occur on Tuesdays, a day set by the US Constitution, but in today's world it is sometimes a problem getting to the polls to vote. A farmer might be in a rush to wrap up harvest before the next weather system arrives, you might get called out of town for a variety of reasons and, for some, it's tough to take off work.

In the mornings before work you're getting the kids ready for school, have to pick them up after work, get ready for dinner or a host of other activities. About half of registered voters say the hassle of getting to the polls on a Tuesday is one reason they never vote.

That's one reason for the advent of Early Voting. The window to vote opened Thursday, and is open through the day before the election.

You can contact your County Clerk's office for information about Early Voting.

Meanwhile, a federal judge has denied an Illinois Attorney General's office request for him to reverse his earlier decision halting same-day voter registration at polling stations.

A Thursday hearing in a federal courtroom in Chicago lasted just minutes as Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan denied the request. He ruled earlier this week that the same-day registration option, as written, benefited Democrat strongholds, like Chicago, and disadvantaged rural regions.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office argued that yanking the option so close to the November 8 election would unfairly deny some citizens voting rights. 

In a two-page written explanation Thursday, though, the judge said, "This court did not restrict the rights of any voters. The legislation did."

Madigan's office will appeal next to the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals.