Voters flock to Kendall County Clerk's Office on first day of early balloting

YORKVILLE – There were 30 times more voters than stopping at the polls during the first day of early voting for the general election in Kendall County, according to clerk's officials.

Kendall County Clerk Debbie Gillette said 303 voters came to the polls on Thursday, Sept. 24. She said the official usually gets about 10 or less during the first day of early voting.

"Way more than we have ever had on the first day of early voting," Gillette said.

Gillette said the clerk's office also mailed out more than 14,000 vote by mail ballots on Thursday. She said the office has gotten a little more than 15,000 vote by mail applications overall so far.

Gillette previously said 2,400 absentee ballots were cast during the 2016 general election and 3,068 vote by mail ballots were cast for the 2018 general election. The number of this year's vote by mail ballots are already nearly six times the amount of total vote by mail ballots for the 2016 general election and nearly five times as many as the 2018 election.

Gillette said clerk's office staff is doing their best to adhere to social distancing guidelines as much as possible. She said only five voters are allowed in the office at a time.

“The wait might be a little bit longer than it has been in the past,” Gillette said.

Gillette said she wanted to remind the public that, if they had requested a vote by mail ballot but wanted to vote in person after all, they would have to fill out an affidavit to forfeit the vote by mail ballot and obtain an in person early voting ballot instead.

“Which would require more time,” Gillette added.

Gillette said voters might want to just use the vote by mail ballot and drop those off at office, since there is a drop box in front of the office for those as well.