Feb. 09--Early voting started Monday ahead of Chicago's Feb. 24 Election Day, and candidates already are appealing to supporters to go to the polls now rather than waiting for the election.
Early voting will be offered through Feb. 21 at 51 sites, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. All the locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Five regional sites will also be open Sunday till 3 p.m. The locations are listed at chicagoelections.com.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's campaign sent out an email Friday to supporters telling them it's "more convenient than ever" to vote early.
"Find an early vote location near your house, or your job, or day care, and vote early starting Monday," the message from the Emanuel campaign reads.
Ald. Bob Fioretti's campaign also sent an email to supporters over the weekend asking them to vote early.
Businessman Willie Wilson plans to vote Monday.
Early voting and mail-in voting increasingly have become a focus for campaigns as they get better at identifying likely supporters and try to get their votes locked up rather than wait for the day of the election, when bad weather, busy schedules or long lines at the polls might deter people from casting ballots.
During the hard-fought governor race that Republican Bruce Rauner won in November over Pat Quinn, the Democratic-controlled legislature adopted several changes that made it easier to vote early. Quinn said those were meant to increase voter participation, while critics said they were put in place to boost Democratic totals.
jebyrne@tribpub.com
