The Return of The Chicagoist Reader Meet-Up
Cubs Combat Casino
Notre Dame Fan Takes It Too Far, Allegedly Punches Clausen
County Sales Tax Rollback Vetoed - Here We Go Again
PHOTOS: Peaches And Amanda Blank At Metro
So far, the voting experiences of those in the Chicagoist offices range from easy as pie to frustrating as hell.
Some of us breezed right through this morning with short wait times and smart, competent election judges. But one writer said everyone at her polling place had his or her voting status challenged. One of our weekend writers said she ended up on the business end of a voting machine programmed for the wrong precinct, so she queued up for a long wait at an electronic machine. And a few Chicagoist writers found themselves voting Republican for the very first time (if locusts descend from the skies, that’s probably why).
Outside of the races themselves, voting today was kind of exciting. First, dig that crazy new ballot. Punching holes is so 2004. Now, you’re asked to color in little arrows. We forgot how much we missed the simple joys of grade school, though keeping track of which judges got our "no" votes started to make us dizzy.
Also, could that thing be any longer? 
It was like carrying around a copy of Santa’s naughty list. Our anal-retentiveness was working overtime because the ballot was longer than our booth and we were worrying about folding, spindling or mutilating our precious link to democracy.
Then there are those non-binding referendums. We love the wording on the assault weapons ban vote that essentially says “Do you or do you not want tiny little babies to get shot?” After reading an article in The Economist last week, we voted for the statewide minimum wage hike since it won’t hurt small businesses (even though we know the EITC is a better bet to reduce poverty). As for our votes on pulling out of Iraq, we’ll keep those to ourselves.
So tell us: How was your voting experience this morning? How long was your wait? Was your registration challeneged? What’d you think of that new ballot? Are you planning on voting tonight instead? Are you coming to our returns watching party at the Daily Bar and Grill?
Looking for voting resources? Check out our post here.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I did early voting this year for the first time, and it was such a positive experience (no line, no waiting, plenty of time to deliberate) that you can bet I'll do it again next year. I do sorta envy people in Oregon who get to vote by mail.
I'm still registered in the South Loop so I hoofed it over to Dearborn Station. No wait to get a ballot at about 9 a.m. A few people after me had to wait for an open booth, but it wasn't long. No problems finding my name or scanning my ballot. Good times.
And I just finished taping my voting receipt to a sticky label so I can wear it on my sweater. I am a voting geek and am jealous of the folks in the burbs who get the full-color "I voted" sticker.
hey jack, what do you need to vote?
1. voter registration card - CHECK
2. government ID - CHECK
3. haven't moved in the last 12 months - CHECK
you can't vote! you're not in our little book! oh but don't fret, you can vote "provisionally." here you go, stick this "you cna't vote" card into the machine and it'll start the ballot.
here, vote for the house of representatives.
you're done! that's it! you get to vote in ONE RACE evern though you are registered and can prove it!
thanks for letting me do my civic duty, you fucktards.
If you are not allowed to vote or want to report vote fraud, here is a link to report the problem:
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/local_story_311092818.html
Thanks to Gaper's for the link.
My experience was perfect. I opted to use the touch screen machine, which worked very well. No complaints.
There's a polling place in Dearborn Station? I just voted at Grace Place, which is less than a block away from there. I'm 2nd Ward, 54th Precinct.
I had no problems voting. Wasn't crowded at all at 8am.
wow, scott, that redefines geeky. and i'm jealous! i forgot i don't get a sticker. maybe i should vote and give blood on the same day, then i'd get a sticker...
From Hyde Park - voted in my local church basement and had a great voting experience, too. Smooth check in, loved the optical scan arrow-coloring. (Although soon they will have to give us bigger desks, I hope?) Whole thing took about 12 minutes and it was a lot of fun in the room. Also loved the college-student election judges there to hang out and soothe the senior election judges if anything happened with technology. Nothing bad did happen, and it seemed like even early in the day (at 7:30 am) the old folks and the young folks were having a grand old time hanging out together. I take my hat off to this idea - looks like it's doing the trick. =)
I was all over the ballot, party-wise, this morning. Green for Gov, Republican for County Board Prez, and Dem for everything else.
I do sort of miss the punch ballots for the judge votes. It was much easier to just shoot down the lines with that pin.
I was the tenth person to vote in my Ukie Village precinct this morning. I've been voting in the same place now for seven years so I don't know if they remember me or what, but they didn't even ask for my voter registration card or anything.
There was only one touchscreen machine, which I opted to use. Other than the judge telling me that you had to insert the card gently it went very well, other than the choice I had to make for Cook County president and governor.
Voting in my precinct was smooth. The officials were informed and helpful. The procedure was to draw a line to connect two lines. It takes a little longer, but in this age of voter fraud, incorrect ballots, and the worst politicians ever, I'll take my time. Touch screen wasn't an option, and truthfully, I wouldn't have done it anyway. Voting for judges is for the birds. Do pick all the Irish? Do you oust the guy that didn't grant you that motion? What about the hyphenated last names?
And if you are a registered voter in the United States, and you don't know that "YES" means "Si", well...
That ballot came up to my knees, it was so big. I guess that's the fallout of hanging chads and faulty Diebold machines.
Also, I feel gypped that I didn't get the big box ordinance question that IVI-IPO recommended you check "yes" to. I guess Bridgeport must be some gentrifying neighborhood or something, we're not getting a Wal-Mart.
it went smooth for me. i found it strange, though, not needing to show ID at my polling place (only needed to know my address...) as well as the registration lady asking me which party i was in?
whats up with that?
and shouldn't i have to show ID?
I was the 45th voter this morning. Of the six people in line everyone was challenged but me. I had just changed my voter registration a couple months ago and they didn't challenge me - so I'm not sure why there were so many challenges. People were a little angry about standing in line to be told that they couldn't vote without better proof of who they are. On that note - how do they know you are who you are based on your credit card? Do they run it through a scanner to see where your bill goes or something?
how did you know what voter you were?
It seems there has been some confusion as to the effectiveness of not voting in the County board race, or writing in Forrest Claypool.
To clarify: Unless the candidate you are writing in has filed the necessary paper work, you are literally throwing your vote away.
Not voting for Peraica today is not only a vote for Todd Stroger and his child-abusing cronies, it is a wasted vote.
Forrest Claypool will *not* be the next board president, no matter how hard you wish. But if we all buy the Machine's argument that Peraica is a right-wing nut (which he isn't) Todd Stroger *will* be our next board president.
Excersise your right to vote wisely.
Unless the candidate you are writing in has filed the necessary paper work, you are literally throwing your vote away.
Says the man who says not to vote for judges. You can't advocate for people to stick to the system on one hand (an independent judiciary), then chastise those who use it to vote for their conscience (the ability to write-in a candidate) the same way you do.
Well, OK, you can. But...um, you shouldn't. :)
How is not voting for a judge any less "throwing away your vote" than writing in a candidate?
It's been a disaster so far, and I haven't even made it to the polling place. My registration wasn't changed to my new address (made a special trip JUST to do this on the one day off I've had in months), and I can't find any info online about accessible voting (specifically, large print ballot). I'm not optimistic about my voting experience...
Because not voting for a judge is a principled stand. And it encourages people to think critically about the system. And it is constituionally correct.
Not voting for Peraica because you have bought into the bullshit the machine is selling you is counter to a movement of real reform here in Cook County. These two issues are not related, no matter how much you hate America, Scott.
I voted for Peraica, FYI. But writing in a vote is also constitutionally correct and a principled stand if your principles mean you can't bring yourself to vote for either of the two candidates.
Would you say a vote for Whitney is throwing away your vote? Your logic applies to this race as well, doesn't it?
But if we all buy the Machine's argument that Peraica is a right-wing nut
I'm leaning toward voting for Peraica to punish Stroger but I'm very distressed that from what I've *seen* he's done little to dispel some of those arguments. For one he signed a statement saying he wouldn't raise taxes yet even though he says he won't mess with abortion rights he refuses to sign a statement saying so. Then there's the assault weapons.....
Navin: weren't you yelling about anti-abortion at the polls this morning?
If you have any doubts about Peraica, or are even thinking about voting for the Toddler, you should go back and read some of my posts earlier this election season. And remember that Claypool is voting for Peraica as well.
Scott: No, I don't think that voting for Whitney is throwing my vote away. That vote will be counted, the Green Party will gain a permanent ballot line in IL, and Whitney is a viable candidate. There is a mathematical possiblity that he could win.
There is zero mathematical possiblity that anyone you write in, that has not filed as a write-in candidate will win. If you want to vote through abstentia, that's your business, and you are free to do it for any number of reasons; if you want to have some fun with your abstentia vote and write the name of the Pope, Mickey Mouse, or whom ever in, that's your right too. But I would hate for people to start writing Claypool's name in, thinking that it is going to count as any kind of protest, or possiblity to elect him to the County Board presidency, when it ultimately won't matter, be recroded, or recognized.
My experience at Andrew Jackson Elementary this morning went smoothly, almost no line, no challenges, and no ballot problems. I think I hit a sweet spot at about 8:45, just after the before-work rush was over.
But I was surprised like some other people here that I didn't have to show any ID. I actually pointed out my name in the registration booklet when I came in and they just took my word for it. For all they knew, I could have walked in and out and done that 20 times.
If my father finds out I cast a vote for a Republican AND a member of the Green party, I will not be invited home for the holidays.
Voting was smooth as silk for me and I forgot how much I loved the volunteers at my polling place. They've been doing it forever and are so friendly and sweet and fun.
I, too, am miffed about the sticker situation. I think if more people knew that there was a sticker waiting for you at the end of the process, more people would come out to vote.
Bonus points if the stickers were scratch-n-sniff and smelled like bacon!
My experience was a little frustrating. I moved this spring and reregistered, got the new ID from the clerk's office (didn't have it with me, though) and the official this-is-where-you-vote mailing (brought that). They couldn't find my name. I had to do a provisional ballot, after someone finally found the list of eligible voters. Apparently the volunteers were having to renumber(??) provisional ballots, too, because there were two # 13s. The electronic machine wasn't calibrated; some guy had to revote. This was at 6:40 in the morning. Long day ahead of them...
I'm surprised at how many devoted dems I know voted for the first republican in their lives this morning. I for one, had vowed never to do so... but then found myself voting for Peraica. It would be an interesting academic study (my nerdy side comes out now) to look at the split ticket voting -- people who voted for a republican for county board, Whitney for gov, and dems everywhere else.... Interesting....
Remember when you were a kid and would take long car trips and your mom would give you those "MAGIC" books with the INVISIBLE INK marker (yes/no, mazes etc.)? You would run the pen across the answer and a smiley or frowny face would appear. That's how the ballots should be - use the invisible ink marker to vote smiley or frowny for your candidate.
No problems while voting at Victor Wayne's floral shop; they even offered coffee and cookies!
This made up for the fact that since I moved, I can no longer cast my vote in a bar.
The filling-in-arrows ballot got to be kind of a pain halfway through all those judges, though.
My precinct required a rectal exam. I guess at my age I need it, but what's up with that?
My precinct required a rectal exam before giving me my ballot. I guess I'm at that age where I need one, but what's up with that?
To all those saying today was the first time you voted for a member of the GOP?
Really?
You have never voted for a Republican before? Ever?
I'm certainly not a fan of the religious nuts or the corporate mindset, but I've voted for more than a few moderate Republicans in the last few elections, as well as Greens and of course Dems. Sometimes I vote GOP just to cast an anti-Machine vote as well.
Then again, I guess if you've been voting only in the last 6-8 years, you haven't had many good GOP candidates from which to choose. Most of the GOP seems to have gone loco since then.
Let's hope the GOP one day again embraces reason instead of blind faith and loyalty and Christian nuttiness, just for the possibility of having other choices.
Boy compared to some having to give dna evidence for voting, i gave my name, signed a card, they compared my signature (uh it has changed since i signed it many years ago) but they didnt ask for any id or anything. scary how easy it was. bad part is that it was only older election judges, and the computer polling machine went down early and they were confused by the electromechanical monster. so only the scantron esque voting for me.
Its interesting how Republicans went from a less government, succeed on merit approach to "Jesus says do this, this and this, and this is the land of the free only if you believe what we do."
If only they would go back to their original philosophy they would have a good party. Until then, lets embrace our new Democratic overlords! They unfortunately will keep us in Iraq, raise our taxes, and help out idiots over people who work hard. Sounds great!
I thought the Republican party was against choice.
Sorry, I had to do it.
I voted today at the local elementary school. Due to the reconstruction of the facade at the local nursing home, we were moved from a stinky lounge area to a stinky lounge area. Why do polling places I've ever been to, stink?
Anyway, the room we used was quite small and at 7:15 am it was also quiet. It was a much busier time at the Primaries. The election judges were the same as well. Two Democratic judges - old and white, three Republican judges - young - two black, one white. One of the Republican judges apparently didn't get enough sleep, his head was against the wall, eyes shut to the world, barely stirring when I and a few other of my fellow civic citizens walked in. The lady ahead of me asked to use the Touch Screen machine. After looking at the long ballot sheet of the more traditional voting method I too opted to go touch voting. The white republican judge suggested that I take the traditional method. I, being a smart ass and totally ignoring him, but instead focusing on some junk he had on his face replied, "Hey, you have some junk on your face." He turned red and rubbed some of it off and then said, I don't have time for this right now. A little wait later and the lady was done with the machine. The judge was surprised. I guess he should have been especially if he didn't know he had crap on his face.
With jolly song-speak, the judge initialized my electronic voting card and handed it to me. He instructed to stick my card "in the hole" which wasn't quite exact. It was a slot, like one you might put your card in at an ATM machine. But, I had issues. The card was a little funky and wouldn't fit in the slot very well. It seemed the slot was just a little too thin and so I had to align it just right and push in SLOWLY. With a few tries I got the card to "click" and I was on my way. After selecting my language, I zipped through the 24 screens pretty quickly.
I voted mostly Green, with only a few Dems on that list. No Republicans thankyouverymuch. I'm okay with Pappas. Hey she shows up and puts on a show at Gay Pride. I like that. And besides the fact she's done okay in my books, I voted for her. I also voted for Jan --
sorry I just saw this at the Chicago Suntimes website and laughed my ass off:
A Sun-Times investigation
Clout's Sick List
City workers with political clout claim to be injured at a rate that far
exceeds any occupation tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor,
according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times.
anyway, I voted for Jan Shakowsky my representative in the 9th Congressional District. She's also done alright by me, making sure the Gays keep a somewhat better than the status quo quality of life in this land of the free, the USandA. But I have to tell you, just for a fricking shake up in the political status quo I had to vote Green all the way I could. With the exception of Cook County Board President, which in this region the media would like to make you think it was more important than the US Presidential election. And unfortunately it has been, given our last two Prez elections.. (geesh)
The judges, I have to admit, I don't follow these things at all. There are SOOOO many of them. It's like if I want to get those right on the next election, I'd probably have to start now and track each and every one of them. With that in mind, I will refrain from saying what I did on those. Moving on, the referendums were pretty interesting. One dealt with raising the minimum wage which I said YES to, and the one I really liked was this:
Shall the United States Government immediately begin an orderly and rapid withdrawal of all its military personnel from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and reserves? OF COURSE I CHOSE YES. I wish I had the opportunity to bold it, make it 320 points, flashy colors, etc etc with a 37 cent stamp and an envelope addressed to Prez Bush(whacker)
I am very glad the Protection of Marriage referendum wasn't on the ballot. Our voice has mattered. We thwarted those people from obtaining enough signatures to get their referendum on the ballot by being open about our lives and showing people that we aren't a devious evil bunch bent on sodomizing their horny 15 year old children. But if it had appeared on the ballot, I'd say NO in all kinds of flashy font goodness.
Anywhoo, the process only took about 5 minutes. The review process was very thorough and exact, I kind of wish I could have gotten a printout of who I voted for, but I imagine to avoid any sort of conflict of interests, that will never happen. After the process with the card finished, it popped out and the judge recorded the results in the master machine. I received a "receipt" and walked out feeling darn good about myself.
Now I keep my ears glued to WBEZ's Special election night coverage. It's super exciting, hearing people talk about the process, and getting the results over a phone feed. It's just classic.
[edit]
actually it'll be even more classic in say 20 years.. (listening to a streaming feed on the notebook instead of the traditional radio)
Here's hoping your candidate won ;-)
I had the almost the exact same problem as Jack, and boy am I fucking pissed off