By Gabriel Palos
@redlineproject
Early voting has become a crucial aspect of the election process here in Illinois. Data From Illinois Election Data proves that the mail early-voting ballots counted increased considerably between the years 2006 and 2016.
This chart created with Datawrapper details the number of mail early-voting ballots counted during Illinois’s election cycles throughout a decade. In the chart’s first year, 51,964 mail early-voting ballots were counted by election officials. By 2008, that number had boosted dramatically to 221,442 ballots. Although participation decreased a bit in the next election cycles, mail voting stayed significantly higher than it was in 2006.
The most drastic increase happened in 2016. Election officials counted 448,025 mail early-voting ballots, doubling the number recorded in 2008 and nearly nine times the number of 2006’s election cycle. This data suggests that more Illinoian voters were utilizing modern approaches to conventional Election Day voting than ever.
There are several factors that may contribute to this trend. Early voting provides voters with flexibility when they may be juggling work, school and familial obligations, which may make it more challenging to get to polling locations on Election Day. Over time, election officials also have amplified access to early-voting options, resulting in a less obstructed voting process for many residents.
The increase in early voting reflects major transformations in how Americans participate in elections. Across the United States, election administrators have pushed citizens to utilize multiple voting methods to develop accessibility and cut down on overcrowding at polling stations. Illinois seems to be open to this national trend, with rising numbers of voters choosing to cast their ballots before Election Day.
While the data only considers election cycles through 2016, it illustrates an obvious long-term change in voter’s voting style preferences. Early voting has become a major part of election participation and continues to have an important function in modern elections.