More than 320,000 early votes were cast in Chicago today for the midterm elections, a 70% increase from the primary election.

Chicago 2026midterm elections Debut on 3rd. According to the latest data from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, as of the evening of the 2nd, 211,657 people in the city had completed on-site advance registration.vote Another 109,215 mail-in ballots were returned, for a total of 320,872, more than in March this yearprimary The comparative figure for the same period increased by almost 70%, indicating a significant increase in early voter participation.

Chicago Board of Elections Chairman Maricel Hernandez said on the morning of the 3rd that the city’s 1,291 polling stations opened at 6 a.m. and voting will continue until 7 p.m., calling on those who have not yet voted to take advantage of the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

According to the data, a total of 102,775 people voted in advance on the site in this year’s March 17 primary election, and an additional 85,282 mail-in ballots were received, for a total of 188,057 votes. In comparison, in-person early voting in the November midterm elections increased by 108,882 people, an increase of approximately 106%; And mail-in ballots increased by 23,933, an increase of nearly 28%. A total of 132,815 tickets were added through both methods, an increase of approximately 70.6%.

There are currently 1,565,133 valid registered voters in Chicago. Early voting and returned mail-in ballots account for about 20.5%, but this is not the final turnout rate. A total of 714,789 votes were cast in the city in the 2022 midterm elections, for a turnout of 46.39%. Hernandez said he expects voter turnout this year to be higher than last year.

This election will elect federal senators and representatives, as well as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor General, Treasurer, and state legislators. The election of the Chicago Board of Education president and committee members is also in focus.

The Election Committee said that in addition to the designated voting centers in each constituency, the voting supersite at the intersection of State Street and Adams Street in the city center, as well as the early voting centers in the city’s 50 administrative districts, will be opened as general voting centers across the city on the 3rd, and qualified voters can go to the districts to vote.

Eligible voters who have not yet registered can register and vote at the site on the same day, but will need to present two identification documents, at least one of which includes their current residential address.

For mail voting, ballots that have not yet been mailed must be postmarked by the 3rd. The Election Committee recommends that voters go directly to the post office counter to confirm the date, or drop their ballot papers in 52 designated ballot boxes across the city before 7 pm.

The Elections Commission office at 69 W. Washington St. will not offer in-person voting that day, but there will still be a mail-in ballot drop box in the building lobby.

Voters who have mailed a ballot but have not received a confirmation notice can explain the situation to polling station personnel, fill out an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot.

The preliminary voting results will be announced one after another after the polls close at 7 pm on the 3rd. The public can check the Chicago Elections Commission’s website at ChicagoElections.gov.