Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents can now cast early ballots at the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E. Deerpath Road. Lake County expanded early voting Monday, Oct. 19, from a single Waukegan courthouse to 18 locations countywide ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The expansion follows a weekend of political energy across the county. Nearly 2,000 people turned out Saturday, Oct. 17, for "No Kings" rallies in Gurnee, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove and Deerfield, the Chicago Tribune reported. Organizers shifted their focus from protesting the Trump administration to urging residents to vote early.
Katie Salyer, one of the leaders of Northeast Lake County Indivisible, said the timing was deliberate. "This is a national day of action encouraging people to vote and ideally vote early," Salyer told the Tribune.
The Gurnee gathering drew about 1,200 people to the intersection of Hunt Club Road and Grand Avenue, according to Lake McHenry Scanner. An estimated 450 gathered outside Highland Park City Hall. About 300 combined attended the Buffalo Grove and Deerfield events.
The turnout was smaller than a March 28 round of No Kings protests that drew more than 10,000 people across Lake and McHenry counties, Lake McHenry Scanner reported. Salyer told the Tribune that with the election close, organizers placed more emphasis on voting than protesting.
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, spoke at the Buffalo Grove rally and called for electing a Democratic majority in Congress. Keith Brin, the Republican 10th Congressional District Central Committee person, pushed back in a text to the Tribune. He said both parties should focus on improving conditions for residents, citing struggles with property taxes, affordability and the cost of living.
At the History Center on Deerpath Road, early voting runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the Lake County Clerk's office. The site is closed Sundays. Those hours hold through Oct. 31.
Seven other sites across the county offer extended hours, including evening voting until 7 p.m. on weekdays starting Oct. 26 and Sunday availability. The nearest extended-hours location is the Highwood Library and Community Center, 102 Highwood Ave.
No identification is required for voters registered with their current name and address. Unregistered residents can register in person at any early voting site, according to the Lake County early voting page.
Early voting countywide runs through Nov. 2. The Nov. 3 ballot includes races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, the Illinois General Assembly, Lake County Board and a countywide 1 percent school sales tax referendum.
