With elections coming up on Tuesday, the Coles County Clerk’s Office has already had 5,000 ballots cast as of last Friday.

Coles County Clerk Sue Rennels said in an email that the presidential elections always have a higher voter turnout than other elections.

This one in particular is higher than previous presidential elections, she said.

Rennels said people should come prepared when they come to the Coles County Courthouse to vote.

If they are not already registered, they must have two forms of identification, which can include a driver’s license, a piece of mail with their current address on it, a lease or a utility bill.

If people need to check their voter registration status, they can visit ova.elections.il.gov and click on “Am I Registered to Vote in Illinois?”

“If you are already registered in Coles County, you must vote in your polling site,” Rennels said. “Election Day in our office and Mattoon City Hall is for new registrations only.”

Voters will have to vote in the courthouse if they register on Election Day.

For Monday they will have voting hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the courthouse and at the Bridge Lounge in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

On Tuesday, the Clerk’s Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Abbey Whittington can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].