Vote!

Yes, it is some weeks away until the November elections, the traditional day being Tuesday, November 8, when polling places will be open in all the precincts. In Illinois, early in-person voting is beginning at selected locations around Illinois and will continue until November 7. For those who would vote by mail, now is the time to trek to the post office; the last day to apply for a mail ballot by mail is November 3. (Don’t wait until then.)

The early early voting sites are mostly the various county and sometimes municipal Boards of Elections offices. For information, you can find your local web sites (mostly county clerks offices) through your favorite web search or through links at the Illinois State Board of Elections. Some of the information you might be looking for from a county site can also be found at the Illinois site, so explore.

For Chicagoans, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has a helpful site. You’ll note that early voting begins on Friday, October 7 with two polling places open in Chicago’s Loop. Beginning Monday, October 24, there will be an additional polling place open (7 days a week) in each ward.

And yes, you should cast a ballot, even if you know nothing, even if you leave some of the contests blank. Voting is one of those things that must be used to not be lost. It’s one of those things you might not miss until one day you do and then you’ll really miss it.