Early voting began Thursday for the primary election on Feb. 25, Aurora area officials said.
In Kane County, there are primary races for mayor in Aurora, which is a non-partisan election, and for three Aurora Township races featuring Democrats, which are partisan contests.
Early in-person voting is now available at the Kane County Clerk’s Office locations in Aurora, at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite F, and Geneva, at 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building B. A list of all early voting dates and times in Kane County is available at https://clerk.kanecountyil.gov/Elections/Pages/Early-Voting.aspx.
Running in the Aurora mayoral primary are Ald. John Laesch, incumbent Richard Irvin, Ald. Ted Mesiacos, Karina Garcia, Jazmine Garcia and Judd Lofchie.
Aurora residents vote for one candidate, with the top two finishers in the primary moving on to the April 1 general election.
The races for Aurora Township posts are all Democratic party contests, so only Democratic voters who live in the township can vote in these primaries.
There are no Republican party contests to be voted on in the primary.
The Democratic contests in Aurora Township include races for clerk between Adam Pauley and Angela Thomas and highway commissioner between incumbent Jason Owens and Donald Ishmael.
The winners in these contests will move on to the general election in April.
There is also a contested race for Aurora Township Board in the Democratic primary, with residents choosing four candidates to move on to the general election.
Running in the primary are Bonnie Lee Kunkel, incumbent Samuel Nunez, Jerria Donelson, incumbent Dolores Hicks, Mansa Latham Williams, Danny Taylor and Sherry Spears.
The top four vote-getters will move on to the April 1 election.
Along with the start of in-person early voting in Kane County, residents can apply for a vote by mail ballot at https://clerk.kanecountyil.gov/Elections/Pages/Vote-by-Mail.aspx. Ballots will be mailed to those who have applied for permanent vote by mail status or have applied for a one-time ballot, officials said.
Early voting has also begun in Kendall County.
Voters in the Aurora portion of Kendall County can vote in the mayoral primary.
The only other primary election in Kendall County is a Republican primary for Oswego Village Board. In that race, Republican voters in Oswego will vote for three candidates, with four in the running – incumbent Jennifer Jones Sinnott, Jim Marter II, Terry Olson and incumbent Kit Kuhrt.
The top three vote-getters will move on to the April primary.
For a Kendall County early voting schedule, go to https://www.kendallcountyil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/31920.
Early voting is also up and running in DuPage County. The only primary race in the Aurora area to be voted on by DuPage County residents is the Aurora mayoral contest.
For more information on early voting in DuPage County, go to https://www.dupagecounty.gov/elected_officials/election_and_voter_information/.
Just like in DuPage, the only contested primary race in the Aurora area to be voted on by Will County residents is the Aurora mayoral primary.
For more information on voting in Will County, go to https://www.willcountyclerk.gov/consolidated-primary/.