Cook County clerk, Orland Park village clerk announce early-voting move, warn of mail-ballot timing changes

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon and Orland Park Village Clerk Mary Ryan Norwell told a packed community Q&A that early voting for the township will move to the Orland Park civic center to offer more indoor space and parking and to improve voter convenience.

"Mayor Jim Dodge was very helpful in making this happen," Gordon said, urging attendees to spread the word about the new location. She said the county will include the civic center among its 55 early-voting sites and confirmed that early voting at those sites begins March 2; selected locations (including four courthouses and certain public sites) will open as early as Feb. 18.

Gordon warned residents about recent United States Postal Service processing changes that affect mail ballots. "Request your ballot early. Mail your ballot early, or you could take it right to the post office," she said, adding that ballots should be sent well before previously used benchmarks to ensure they are postmarked and processed in time.

Deputy Clerk of Elections Ed Michalowski described a pilot "smart ballot box" the county is rolling out. The system uses a barcode on the mail ballot tied to voter information and surveillance at collection sites; Michalowski said the system will notify voters by email or text when a ballot is received and later when it is verified and counted. "You'll receive an email ... and when the ballot is verified, you'll receive a message that the ballot has been counted," he said.

Residents raised concerns about receiving mail addressed to voters who no longer live at that address. A long-serving polling judge said her adult daughter — registered in a neighboring county — still receives voter mail at the Orland Park address. Gordon and Michalowski said they would capture the details and remove incorrect registrations from the local rolls. Officials explained that counties report voter records to the State Board of Elections, which cross-checks unique identifiers (for example, a state voter ID, driver’s license or Social Security digits) and notifies local authorities if a person appears to have voted in more than one jurisdiction.

"If someone votes twice, it's a felony," Michalowski said, noting that the state and county systems typically detect duplicate voting and that legal authorities would be notified if conflicts appear.

Officials also promoted efforts to boost participation: a pilot peer-to-peer early-voting program for 24 area high schools (including Andrew and Stagg) in partnership with the Chicago Bears, and recruitment for election judges (about $250 a day) and polling technicians (about $400 a day). Gordon said the clerk's office will post information and sign-up links on cookcountyclerk.com and will work with village staff to push local outreach.

Monica Gordon listed other Cook County Clerk services available to residents — birth, marriage and death records, property recording and a veterans-services card with participating business discounts — and urged community leaders to help publicize early-voting dates and mail-ballot guidance. She also advised voters to get a Real ID if they are concerned about identification questions at the state level.

The clerks and village hosts left attendees with two clear requests: submit and deliver mail ballots well before deadlines given USPS changes, and help spread accurate information locally about the civic-center voting location and outreach materials. "We need your help with this United States Postal Service change with mail ballots," Gordon said. "Request their ballot early. Send in their ballot early or take it to the local post office."