Is Chicago’s expanded early voting and ballot‑tracking worth it?

Does expanding early voting and adding ballot‑tracking actually help Chicago voters?

Chicago is the most populous city in Illinois and the third‑most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census, so expanding early voting city‑wide reaches a large share of the electorate. Cook County, which includes Chicago, has about 5.2 million residents, making it the second most populous county in the nation and the 19th largest government in the United States based on 2015 census statistics, meaning the changes affect a substantial portion of the nation’s voters. The Chicago metropolitan area has approximately 9.62 million residents according to the 2020 census and is the third‑largest metropolitan statistical area in the country, showing that the voting reforms sit within a very large regional population. The Chicago metropolitan statistical area is part of the fourth‑largest combined statistical area in the United States, spanning 19 counties in three states with a population of nearly 10 million, highlighting the broader regional impact of the new voting procedures. In 2025 Chicago attracted nearly 57 million visitors, drawn to its cultural institutions, Lake Michigan beaches, restaurants and other tourist sites, underscoring the city’s high profile and the importance of a voting system that can serve both residents and a large transient population. The city is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago, which includes a major visual‑arts museum and art school, further reflecting the broad civic engagement that can be supported by expanded early voting and ballot‑tracking. Chicago has two Major League Baseball teams and hosts the Chicago Marathon, one of the World Marathon Majors, showing the city’s large event calendar that can benefit from flexible voting times. In 1795, after the Northwest Indian War, an area that would become Chicago was turned over to the United States for a military post by native tribes under the Treaty of Greenville, providing historical context for the city’s long‑standing role in national affairs. Abraham Lincoln was nominated in Chicago for U.S. president at the 1860 Republican National Convention, which was held in the Wigwam auditorium, indicating the city’s historic political significance. A daguerreotype from 1855 attributed to Alexander Hesler shows the Cook County Court House and City Hall and is believed to be the oldest surviving photograph of a Chicago structure, reflecting the long‑standing civic infrastructure that now supports modern voting innovations. Cook County was created on January 15, 1831 by an act of the Illinois State Legislature as the 54th county established in Illinois, establishing the legal foundation for the county’s authority over elections. The unincorporated Fort Dearborn settlement at the mouth of the Chicago River became the new county’s seat when Cook County was created, locating the administrative center that now oversees the expanded voting system. Cook County elected its first officials on May 7, 1831, marking the start of local governance that continues to manage election procedures today.

Where and when will the new early‑voting sites be open?

Chicago itself is the county seat and the most populous municipality within the 134 that make up Cook County, which the county’s website lists as its primary jurisdictions. As a historical note, Chicago rose to national political prominence in the 1850s as the home of Senator Stephen Douglas, a fact that underscores the city’s long‑standing role in shaping regional electoral practices.