SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) – Whether it’s early in-person voting or absentee voting, a large number of people are casting their ballots before Election Day.

Data from the Illinois State Board of Elections shows that in the week ending Nov. 5, nearly 975,000 people voted early in person and 667,000 people mailed their ballots. For many early voters, these high numbers were no surprise.

“Yeah, the convenience really helps,” Ben Brown said. “I would rather have a day where everyone votes, but since that won’t be the case, this is a good advantage.”

Several voters who spoke to WCIA said convenience was the main reason they voted early.

“I think for most people, being able to drop off ballots at the polls is also convenient because of Covid and things like that,” said Rob Staff, a Springfield resident.

Others were worried and simply wanted to vote because they couldn't wait for election day.

“We often vote on Election Day, but we really wanted to come in here and cast our votes,” said Dan Ewing, a Sangamon County voter.

“We want to make sure our votes are saved,” said Bonnie Ford, a voter from Springfield.

The pandemic has done a lot to get people to vote early. While it is unclear whether the 2024 election total will surpass 2020, Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray expects that trend to continue.

“I never imagined how quickly we have modernized our elections and how we have invested in non-traditional voting options like absentee voting and early voting,” Gray said. “We have made far greater progress than ever before in providing high quality, good voting services. And I think we are watching this development. We’re watching it grow.”

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