2024 voter turnout surpasses 2020 presidential election in DeKalb County

DeKALB – DeKalb County voter turnout in this year’s general election surpassed numbers from the 2020 presidential election at 77%, about 2% higher than four years ago, according to data published late Tuesday from the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

In an update posted about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, the clerk’s office reported a 77% voter turnout in the 2024 general election, with 47,682 total ballots cast in DeKalb County. That’s compared to a 75% voter turnout in 2020. Of that 2024 count, 24,937 ballots were cast on Election Day; 4,821 mail-in ballots have been counted so far; and 17,924 early votes were cast. Results are unofficial, and more mail-in ballots could still be added to the tally, if ballots were postmarked by Tuesday.

Some election judges said they believe voters had a “strong interest” in the election compelling them to turn out.

“I expected there to be a lot of traffic today,” said Jo Plenger-Schulz, an election judge at the DeKalb Public Library polling place, 309 Oak St. downtown. “I think there’s a strong interest in the turnout of the presidential election.”

DeKalb County Clerk Tasha Sims said Election Day has been a busy day for her office. Almost 22,000 people had already voted in DeKalb County as of midday Monday, Sims previously said. That momentum continued into Tuesday as she made her rounds.

“I’ve not been to as many polling places as I’ve normally been,” Sims said. “I know I’m not going to make it to the southern part of the county.”

Polls were open until 7 p.m. Voters could still cast ballots if they were in line by 7 p.m.

DeKalb County voters supported Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris for president over Republican former president Donald Trump, according to unofficial results: 23,545 ballots were cast for Harris over 22,672 for Trump.

Sims said counts went late into the night Tuesday in part because people were still voting after waiting in line at one major polling place, Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center near Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb, until about 10 p.m. The location also is one of the locations in DeKalb County where people also can register to vote on Election Day.

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Kay Aldrich, from DeKalb, shows her kids Oliver Eich, (left) 6, and Elliott Eich, 7, the voting process Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, as she casts her ballot on Election Day at the DeKalb Public Library. (Mark Busch)

According to the office, DeKalb County had more than 1,000 voters come into the DeKalb County Administration Center’s voting site in Sycamore on Monday through the end of the day.

Sims said that with mail-in and early voting, the county clerk’s office reported 2,260 ballots to close out Monday.

“It’s a good amount to start Election Day out with,” Sims said.

Among the 39 polling places sprawled across 69 precincts, Sims said the only reported issue arose with laptops for judges who were registering individuals to vote the same day as the election.

Sims said the laptops were a little slow, but they were back up and running Tuesday afternoon.

She said it doesn’t have anything do with voting because the county uses paper ballots.

Tim Schulz, an election judge at the DeKalb Public Library polling place, said he’s not noted any glitches, errors or issues while working from the polling place on Election Day.

“It’s been busy,” Schulz said. “It’s been smooth. It’s been cordial. It makes things easier.”

DeKalb resident Colleen Rittmeyer said she felt compelled to head to the polls to mark the day.

“I like voting the day of,” Rittmeyer said. “It’s my old people trait.”

When asked what matters most to her on the ballot in this election, DeKalb resident Myle Johnson said it’s bigger than life for her.

“My first interpretation is it comes from a spiritual aspect, as well,” Johnson said. “What matters is [how] the country is going to be led, what president is going to lead us.”

This story was updated at 11:53 p.m. More updates could occur.