Election Day turnout for 2026 primary falls short of amped-up early voting so far: Live Updates

Election Day turnout numbers nearly mirror the Election Day turnout of the June 2022 primary, said the Chicago Board of Elections.

In a midday press briefing, Max Bever, director of public information for the Board of Elections, said the number of ballots cast will likely fall somewhere in between 2018 and 2022’s turnout numbers. While early voting totals skewed closely to the 2018 primary, the hour by hour count on Election Day nearly matched the June 2022 primary, he said.

“We came into Election Day like a lion, but it looks like we might be exiting like a lamb,” Bever said.

As of noon, over 250,000 votes were cast, with 16.11% citywide turnout so far.

Two incidents have been reported to the Chicago Board of Elections, including a glitch when candidate La Shawn Ford tried to vote and another with a down voting machine in Ward 4. Both issues have been resolved, he said.

The Board has not been made aware of any public safety issues at polling sites.

“What we’ve been seeing is a nice, safe, smooth Election Day,” Bever said. “Dare I say a bit boring?”

Bever said early voting and vote by mail options could be the culprit.

He added, “What we saw leading up to Election Day was a lot more voters choosing earlier in the process than they traditionally have for primary elections.”