FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Cook County Clerk David Orr announced at a press conference today that, for the first time in a general election, suburban Cook County has surpassed the city of Chicago in the number of registered voters. There are now over 1.367 million people registered to vote in Cook County’s suburbs.
Orr, who oversees elections in suburban Cook County, also lauded the success of Early Voting for the November election. So far, 23,000 people have taken advantage of the new early voting law, and thousands more will likely have voted by the end of the Early Voting period, which is tomorrow. There are 32 sites where suburban voters can cast their ballots early.
“We are at a new watershed in American voting history,” noted Orr. “Today, there are competing forces struggling over the electorate. Some are trying to erect barriers and make it more difficult for people to vote, while others are trying to extend the franchise with programs like Early Voting.”
“In suburban Cook County, voting has never been easier or more accessible,” Orr added, describing changes to improve the November election.
“In addition to Early Voting, we have worked extremely hard since March to make the Election Day experience better for voters and, just as importantly, the judges.”
Orr reviewed changes that voters will see on Tuesday, November 7. There will be approximately two touch screens in each suburban precinct. The touch screen machines are a new, upgraded model that is more accessible and adjustable with a larger, more visually pleasing screen.
Voters who choose to vote optical scan ballots will notice a new, easier ballot target—an arrow. To vote, they will simply draw a line to connect the head and tail of the broken arrow next to the candidate of their choice.
Each suburban voter will also get two ballot cards – one for general races and referenda, the other for judicial retention.
Other big changes this November which should simplify polling place procedures and speed results:
- Creation of the Equipment Manager position—a polling place expert on the equipment.
- Precincts will not share equipment, making precinct closing more efficient.
- Absentee/early votes will be counted centrally, relieving judges of that time-consuming task.
Orr pointed out the security features of the touch screen system. All touch screens in Illinois are equipped with a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, as recommended by national experts concerned about election security. After the March primary, an audit of this VVPAT in 5% of precincts demonstrated the touch screen’s accuracy.
“We take allegations of potential security breaches very seriously,” Orr said. “That’s why we’re pleased to have a system with redundancies. Voters see their choices on the ballot screen, the review screen and on the paper trail. It’s a triple-check.”
Orr reminded voters who are interested that they can look to see if they are registered, find their polling location and review a virtual ballot on the Cook County Clerk’s website.
Polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.