DeKALB — Election officials at the DeKalb Sports and Recreation Center are reporting high turnouts on the final day to vote for the general election.

The Rec Center, 1765 S. 4th St., has voting split into two sections with: one gymnasium designated for the 18th, 20th and 21st precincts and the other for the 19th and 22nd precincts.

“This is actually our first lull of the day,” election official Louis Vasseur said at around 2 p.m. “We’ve had a pretty consistent crowd and, actually, 20 people waiting outside when we opened.”

Vasseur said as of 2 p.m. that the 18th, 20th and 21st precincts had collected 397 votes over the course of the day. Vasseur added that those precincts had never broken 400 votes in a single day, and that several large families came out to vote together with several first-time voters.

Vasseur also said two people showing up to be poll watchers and being turned away because they didn’t present proper credentials. Poll watchers must have credentials issued to them by the Illinois State Board of Elections or local boards of election and county clerks.  

Wait times are lower for the 19th and 22nd precincts, with election officials there saying they don’t expect Election Day to be as busy as previous years due to the rise in early voting turnout.

Both rooms are allowing voters to register at the polling place or turn in mail-in ballots they failed to have delivered on time.