Kendall County Clerk forecasts 20 to 25% voter turnout in today’s primary election

Kendall County Clerk Debbie Gillette is projecting voter turnout of about 20 to 25% in today’s primary election.

The polls will remain open until 7 p.m. today, as voters select Republican and Democratic nominees to run in the Nov. 8 general election and decide local referendum questions.

Gillette said her turnout forecast is typical of a primary election.

“It seems to be slow,” Gillette said as she surveyed reports from polling places, which opened at 6 a.m.

Kendall County has 84,000 registered voters in 78 precincts, served by 39 polling places, plus a special “vote center” at Oswego High School, 4250 Route 71.

Under a new state law, every county must create an Election Day center in its largest municipality, where any registered voter in the county may cast a ballot.

At 10 a.m., just four voters had cast ballots at the vote center, Gillette said.

Many Kendall County voters will not need to travel to the polls today, having taken advantage of early-voting and vote-by-mail opportunities.

Gillette said 2,887 early ballots were cast in Kendall County, while her office sent out roughly 900 mail-in ballots to voters who made the request.