CHICAGO (WLS) — With just five days until the election, early voting is having a powerful effect in Chicago.

David Fletcher said it was his civic duty as he cast his vote.

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“It’s going to be a crazy day and obviously I’m going to enter it; I’m quite passionate about it. So getting him in right away just feels right,” Fletcher said.

The Chicago resident was among the early voters in the city.

“Just the urgency, I think of all the elections, this was the most important in terms of women’s rights and other issues,” Lawanna Marshall said.

Voters will make their choices for the Cook County district attorney and congressional races, but the reason for many was the presidential election.

“This election is important. I wanted to make sure my vote counted and there was no problem with the rain and the weather and all the lines. I wanted to make sure I got there as soon as possible,” said Jennifer Nolan.

According to the Chicago Board of Elections, this year’s early voting could match the total of the 2016 presidential election before the pandemic.

Their data shows that as of October 30, more than 320,000 ballots have been received and reported.

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That’s from previous voters and people who mailed in their ballots.

This is compared to nearly 240,000 ballots received and reported in the 2016 presidential election.

Max Bever of the Chicago Board of Elections said early voting can be a factor in election day turnout.

“The high turnout we’ve seen in early voting and mail-in voting also suggests we’ll see a high turnout on Election Day,” Bever said.

Election officials say other counties are also seeing high early voting numbers as more people vote early each year.

The Chicago Board of Elections expects about 1.1 million registered voters to turn out in Chicago elections.

That’s about 70% of registered voters in the city.

There were already lines on Thursday, but the Monday before the election is traditionally the busiest day for early voting.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by November 5, Election Day, in order to be counted.

Asked about security, Chicago police said in a statement: “The Chicago Police Department will adjust resources as needed leading up to and on Election Day. polling stations across the city on election day.”