Turnout Usually Terrible For Consolidated Election

There are more than 1.395 million registered voters in suburban Cook County.

In all likelihood, less than 400,000 of them will vote in the Tuesday, April 5, Consolidated Election.

Turnout in suburban Cook County for recent spring consolidated elections has not cracked 30 percent. The best year for voter turnout was 2001 when 377,595, or about 29 percent of registered voters, went to the polls.

Turnout in the last two consolidated elections has been abysmal. In 2007, only 17.2 percent of voters, or about 236,050 people, participated in the election. In 2009 numbers were slightly better with a turnout of 20.8 percent or about 304,766 votes being cast.

There are 1,210 polling places and they open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. For more information about where to vote, visit the Cook County clerk's website.