Ask Chicagoist: How Are Polling Places Selected?

How are buildings designated as polling places?

Happy Election Day! Are you wondering why you have to go to that weird polling place at your local bar or in a barbershop? Or are you interesting in joining the battle to ban churches as polling places? Or perhaps you just want to know what makes the school down the street a better polling place than the school around the corner?

Basically, polling places are named by the County Board, using the guidelines set forth by the Illinois General Assembly. Specifically, the guidelines encourage the use of schools or other public buildings, mostly because they don't actually have to ask anyone -- it's required they comply. Also, accessibility for all is of utmost importance. If a building can't be found in a precinct that is handicapped accessible (really? still?), voters who need to can be assigned to another polling place (or vote by another means).

A representative from the Cook County Board of Elections told us that they just "try to find an accessible location within the precinct boundaries willing to host a polling site." The burden to find the locations lies on the county, although they do take suggestions and recommendations (so feel free to phone in a call about your living room). They approach suitable locations and ask the interested parties if they would be able to be a polling place. Also, this isn't an annual activity. Our contact mentioned that "most locations have hosted for many years."

As for what a suitable polling place actually is, Illinois Compiled Statues (ILCS) states that "the polling places shall in all cases be upon the ground floor in the front room, the entrance to which is in a highway or public street which is at least 40 feet wide, and is as near the center of the voting population of the precinct as is practicable, and for the convenience of the greatest number of electors to vote."

Curiously, especially in regards to people we know who vote in bars, they also say that "in no case shall an election be held in any room used or occupied as a saloon, dramshop, bowling alley or as a place of resort for idlers and disreputable persons, billiard hall or in any room connected therewith by doors or hallways."

While we can understand why you wouldn't want to vote in a bowling alley, and we find the whole definition of "disreptutable persons" a bit sketchy (especially considering we're talking about voting -- for politicians -- in Chicago), we think it's mostly interesting that there are certainly at least a couple of polling places that are in bars in Chicago -- perhaps it's A-OK since they won't be selling on Election Day. Or perhaps we just don't really pay much attention to these statutes.

Here's a list of all polling places in Chicago, and here is where you can find your polling place -- both to vote and to see if it's a particularly odd location.

Feeling disreputable? Need some advice? Email ask(at)chicagoist(dot)com.