Nearly all counties in the Chicago area kicked off early voting Thursday with the exception of Cook County and the City of Chicago, whose early voting doesn't start until next month.
"It has already been a busy day," DuPage County election judge Dean Gerdes said, helping to oversee one of five early voting sites there.
Below are the early voting sites in DuPage County open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon through Election Day:
- DuPage County Fairgrounds
- Addison Township Office
- Bartlett Community Center
- Downers Grove Recreational Center
- Naperville Municipal Center
Kat McGowan is voting in her very first presidential election. While she's most focused on the race for president, she knows much is at stake in other races down the ballot as well.
All 17 of Illinois' U.S. House seats are on the ballot, and further down all of the State House and a third of the State Senate seats are on the ballot.
"I got myself one of the ballots that I can get online and I researched each candidate," McGowan told NBC Chicago.
Meanwhile, 97-year-old Hal Schmidt, who has voted in dozens of presidential elections, was among the nearly 200 early voters who cast their ballots at the DuPage County Fairgrounds Thursday.
"One less thing to worry about for the next couple of months," voter Tajas Patel said.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
On Oct. 21, an additional 20 early voting sites will open in DuPage County. Early voting is a great chance to beat the lines for many voters, but also given the fewer crowds of voters on Election Day, it also serves as a chance to better observe the process for those with questions.
"From the time that they walk in the door until the time they cast their ballot, we have a judge available to answer their questions," Gerdes said.
Early voting begins in the City of Chicago on Oct. 3 before beginning across Cook County on Oct. 9.
