Make a plan to vote with potential for stormy Election Night

As if local voter turnout needed another challenge, Mother Nature may just provide an evening show on Election Day, Tuesday, April 4.

The National Weather Service out of Chicago is warning that much of northern Illinois is in the path of a severe storm system with the possibility of damaging winds, hail and tornados. As of Sunday morning, the threat level for The Record’s coverage area (Wilmette north through Highland Park) was a 3 out of 5.

According to the NWS, Tuesday’s storm could begin in the later afternoon and carry into Wednesday’s early hours but that “uncertainty exists in the storm coverage and whether a second overnight wave materializes.”

Updated information should be available from NWS-Chicago as the storm progresses.

The North Shore, and other suburban areas, was slammed with heavy rainfall and multiple thunderstorms overnight Friday-Saturday, March 31-April 1. Significant flooding was reported throughout the area.

With the weekend’s storm system, NWS Chicago confirmed at least 12 tornadoes in its coverage area, which is vast. The closest confirmed tornado was in Addison, about 25 miles southwest of Wilmette.

The impact of Tuesday’s potential storm may make Election Day alternatives more attractive.

Early voting remains open through 5 p.m. Monday, April 3, at several locations in the area, including Centennial Ice Rinks:, 2300 Old Glenview Road, Wilmette; Glenview Village Hall, 2500 Lake Ave.; and Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane. For a full list of Cook County locations, click HERE.

In Lake County, early voting has closed at the Highland Park Public Library but remains open until 7 p.m. on Monday, April 3, at Jane Addams Center/Bowen Park, 95 Jack Benny Dr., Waukegan; Lake County Main Courthouse Lobby, 18 N. County St., Waukegan; Mundelein Fire Dept. Station 1, 1000 N. Midlothian Rd., Mundelein; and North Chicago City Hall, 1850 Lewis Ave., North Chicago.

If you have a mail-in ballot, it must be postmarked by Tuesday, April 4.

On Election Day, polls open from 6 a.m.-7p.m., and you can find your polling site through the Cook County clerk, HERE.

To get caught up to speed on what you will see on the ballot, check out The Record’s Local Election Guide, complete with candidate interviews for five contested races (Wilmette Park Board, Wilmette Village Board, New Trier High School Board, Winnetka District 39 School Board and Highland Park City Council) and other voting resources.

For Election Night updates, you can follow @joec2319 on Twitter or visit The Record North Shore or the Cook County clerk’s results page.

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