Request your vote by mail ballot today from the Cook County Clerk’s website before it is too late!
Lee Neubecker, President and CEO of Enigma Forensics has a chat with the Cook County Clerk, Karen Yarbrough, on how to stay safe during the epidemic when going out to vote.
The transcript of the video follows.
Lee Neubecker (LN): Hi, it’s Lee Neubecker from Enigma Forensics. I am a computer forensics and cyber consultant. And I have the pleasure of having Karen Yarbrough, our very own Cook County clerk here on the show to talk about today’s deadline for voting early. Karen, thanks for being on the show.
Karen Yarbrough (KY): My pleasure. So Lee, what I’d like to do today is just simply tell people, please, go online, like right now. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait until March 17th. Now, you know, that’s Saint Patrick’s Day, but it’s also election day. And we just asked if people take the time out today and go online and order your ballot, right now. Just right now, go to cookcountyclerk.com. It’ll come right up on the screen, click the button and you’re in there. And all you have to do is put your information in. We’ll send you your ballot, and we’ll also send you a return addressed envelope, no postage. We’re going to pay for it.
LN: So in light of all the concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, this is a great way to help protect yourself, especially if you’re elderly. Everyone should be doing this.
KY: Absolutely, they should. And I have to tell you that we’re kind of ahead. I’m just looking at the numbers when I was coming over here today, and we’re at record numbers right now for voting. You know, we have our early voting sites all throughout Cook County, and they’re open until seven o’clock. And so people can actually show up there today too.
LN: But right now, if someone wanted right now to do this and get a ballot sent to them at home, what address do they go to do that?
KY: Cookcountyclerk.com.
LN: And right on the homepage, physically.
KY: Absolutely. It’s right on the homepage. They can’t miss it.
LN: And it only takes what? A minute?
KY: Oh my goodness, if it takes a minute. I mean, if you know how to spell your name and your address and your zip code. I mean, that’s what you have to do.
LN: So then I’d encourage anyone that is in a nursing home or works in a nursing home, to help those people get their early ballot, so they don’t have to go to a polling place where they’re going to be around other people. And that way they get their ballot and vote.
KY: Well people who are in nursing homes, we usually have a nursing home election. But this year because of this coronavirus, we’re not doing that. Everybody who wants a ballot, we’re going to take the ballots there to the nursing home and have them to complete the ballots, and then we’ll bring ’em back.
LN: So all of you, it just takes a few minutes.
KY: That’s all.
LN: Go to the Cook County Clerk’s website. Click the link and sign up. And you’ll have a ballot and you can still vote from home. You don’t have to worry about going out to the polls.
KY: Not at all.
LN: And that will help reduce the crowds on election day.
KY: Yes, that’s my message today. Vote, yeah. Vote at home.
LN: Vote early, and often, but from home.
KY: And at home. Yes.
LN: Great. Well, thanks for being on the show.
KY: Thank you.