Hinsdale voters can cast ballots weeks before Election Day this fall, with early voting at the DuPage County Fairgrounds opening Thursday, Sept. 24.
The DuPage County Clerk's office published a legal notice Wednesday, Sept. 2, outlining voting options and accessibility services for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, General Election. The notice lays out two early voting windows, a mail ballot deadline and accommodations for voters who need help at the polls.
Early voting in two phases
The clerk's temporary office at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton opens for early voting Sept. 24 and stays open through Monday, Nov. 2.
Additional early voting sites across the county open later, starting Monday, Oct. 19, and running through Nov. 2. The county's voting information page listed those locations as "available soon" as of Sept. 4.
On Election Day, polls across DuPage County's 600 precincts are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mail ballots and the Oct. 29 deadline
Any registered voter can request a mail ballot, including voters who are physically unable to reach their polling place. The deadline to request one is Thursday, Oct. 29.
Requests go through the clerk's office. The address is 421 North County Farm Road in Wheaton, and the phone number is (630) 407-5600.
Accessibility at the polls
Every polling location during early voting and on Election Day will have touch-screen ballot marking devices for voters who are blind, visually impaired or have limited dexterity. The devices let those voters mark a ballot privately without assistance.
Voters who need help can also request it directly.
On Election Day, assistance can come from election judges (one from each political party), a friend or a relative. The same help is available at early voting sites.
The clerk's office also arranges voter registration appointments with deputy registrars for elderly voters and voters with disabilities. The TDD line is (630) 407-5631.
Updates on early voting locations
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek's office has not yet published the full list of early voting locations beyond the Fairgrounds. Voters can check for updates at dupagecounty.gov/election.
The notice was published the same day the DuPage County Board approved an additional $665,000 for election-related printing and postage, as the Chicago Tribune reported. The funding dispute between the clerk's office and the county board is a separate, ongoing matter.
Key dates for Hinsdale voters:
- Sept. 24: Early voting opens at DuPage County Fairgrounds
- Oct. 19: Additional early voting sites open countywide
- Oct. 29: Deadline to request a mail ballot
- Nov. 2: Last day of early voting
- Nov. 3: Election Day, polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Hinsdale government week ahead
A DuPage County Board candidate forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, giving Hinsdale voters a chance to hear from candidates before the November election. Village Board, Plan Commission and school board meeting schedules for the coming week were not available in the county notice; check the Village of Hinsdale and District 181 and District 86 websites for updated agendas.
