Early Voting: Now Better Late than Never

Early voting in Illinois began late this year, last Monday, on October 22. The pandemic of voter fraud, your LakeCountyEye has been told, is what forced the Illinois Legislature to curtail the early voting period down to an abrupt two-week window. In fact the Legislature is now studying a proposal to reduce the early voting period down to zero days, on the theory that the only 100% reliable way to eliminate voter fraud is to abolish elections in Illinois.

In expanding the number of days that the polls are open to Lake County voters, early voting has had the unintended consequence of disrupting efforts to suppress the vote here. Not surprisingly, Lake County Clerk, Willard Helander is a vocal critic of early voting. Helander is best known for crossing state lines to help the GOP suppress the vote in a Wisconsin election last June.

Laws like early voting legislation intend to make it easier for voters to cast an election ballot, and Helander aired her concerns about these laws in a letter to the News-Sun:

In 2008, just 18,366 voted by mail. To date, nearly 17,000 ballots have been requested. We expect to approach 30,000 over the next three weeks. Each request involves computer entries, signature verification, more computer entries, ballot mailing, signature verification again and another computer entry — thanks to the Legislature requiring a four-part process. With early voting compressed into two weeks, demand for our office support to 20 sites around the county will intensify. We are effectively conducting three different elections at the same time with hardworking 23 staff to handle all the duties and we do that well.
Clerk responds

As your LakeCountyEye reads her letter, Helander is sending an unambiguous signal to the Legislators down in Springfield. They can go ahead and liberalize the voting laws as much as they desire. That doesn't mean that their County Clerks are going to be competent to carry them out. So operatives take note: there is more than one way to suppress a vote.

Here is a complete list of early voting sites in Lake County, and their hours of operation:

HOURS FOR ALL LAKE COUNTY
EARLY VOTING SITES
Monday through Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm
Saturday 9:00am – 2:00pm

Antioch Township Office
1625 Deep Lake Rd.
Lake Villa
847-395-3378
NOTE: Serves Antioch Township voters.

Avon Township Office
433 E. Washington St.
Round Lake Park
847-546-1446
NOTE: Serves Avon Township voters.

Benton Township Office
40020 N. Green Bay Rd.
Beach Park
847-746-2100
NOTE: Serves Benton Township voters.

Cuba Township Office
28000 W. Cuba Rd.
Barrington
847-381-1924
NOTE: Serves Cuba Township voters.

Ela Township Office
1155 E. Route 22
Lake Zurich
847-438-7823
NOTE: Serves Ela Township voters.

Fremont Public Library
1170 N. Midlothian Rd.
Mundelein
847-566-8702
NOTE: Serves Fremont Township voters.

Grant Township Office
26725 W. Molidor Rd.
Ingleside
847-740-2233
NOTE: Serves Grant Township voters.

Gurnee Village Hall
325 N. O’Plaine Rd.
Gurnee
847-599-7500
NOTE: Serves Warren Township voters.

Lake County Courthouse and Administrative Complex
18 N. County St.
Waukegan
847-377-2406
NOTE: Serves Waukegan Township voters
with the exception of township voters
in the City of North Chicago.

Lake County Central Permit Facility
500 W. Winchester Rd.
Libertyville
847-377-2600
NOTE: Serves Libertyville Township voters
with the exception of township voters
in the City of Lake Forest.

Lake County North Shore Health Center
1840 Green Bay Rd.
Highland Park
847-984-5323
NOTE: Serves voters in the City of Highland Park
and Moraine Township
with the exception of Moraine Township voters
in The City of Lake Forest.

Lake Forest City Hall
220 E. Deerpath Rd.
Lake Forest
847-810-3674
NOTE: Serves voters in The City of Lake Forest,
the Village of Lake Bluff,
and unincorporated Shields Township.

Lake Villa Township Office
37908 N. Fairfield Rd.
Lake Villa
847-356-2116
NOTE: Serves Lake Villa Township voters.

North Chicago City Hall
1850 Lewis Ave.
North Chicago
847-596-8680
NOTE: Serves City of North Chicago voters
with the exception of voters in Libertyville Township.

Vernon Township Office
3050 N. Main St.
Buffalo Grove
847-634-4600
NOTE: Serves Vernon Township voters
with the exception of township voters
in The City of Lake Forest.

Wadsworth Village Hall
14155 W. Wadsworth Rd.
Wadsworth
847-336-7771
NOTE: Serves Newport Township voters.

Wauconda Township Office
Community Hall
505 W. Bonner Rd.
Wauconda
847-526-2631
NOTE: Serves Wauconda Township voters.

Waukegan Park District Field House
800 N. Baldwin Ave.
Waukegan
847-782-3300
NOTE: Serves Waukegan Township voters
with the exception of township voters
in the City of North Chicago.

West Deerfield Township Office
601 Deerfield Rd.
Deerfield
847-945-0614
NOTE: Serves West Deerfield Township voters
with the exception of township voters
in the Cities of Lake Forest or Highland Park.

Zion City Hall
2828 Sheridan Rd.
Zion
847-746-4014
NOTE: Serves Zion Township voters.

If you haven't already, you have only until November 3 to perpetrate your voter frauds.