61 Comments - Anonish - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:38 pm: I plan to be out campaigning away from home all day on Election Day so it’s this or vote by mail. - frustrated GOP - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:42 pm: Voted early when traveling. However this year, doesn’t look like I need to or have time to do so. - OneMan - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:44 pm: Yes, actually easier to do in some ways. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:47 pm: I have voted early since they first allowed it. I always wind up needing to do something pressing on election day so this alleviates that. As long as the Alliance of Bar Associations has released its info, I’m good to go and will be voting tomorrow AM. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:48 pm: I like voting on election day, but I’ll be in Chicago that day for an event (watch for the announcement soon), so I guess I have to vote early. - dave - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:52 pm: I will be voting early… I’ll be out working for a campaign all day on E-day. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 12:57 pm: I use to always vote early, for any number of reasons … the last 3 or so elections I voted on Election Day. I indicated on this poll I will again vote on Election Day … - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:00 pm: “Usually I vote early on Election Day, but I have a much earlier Tee Time this election, so I may just vote early so I can get an extra 9 holes in” - Tom Cross - Lil Enchilada - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:03 pm: I always vote on election day. Old habits… - Eddy - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:03 pm: I always work 24 hours on a campaign on Election Day. Love early voting, but the line was an hour long. - Cheryl44 - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:03 pm: Monday morning at the early voting polling place felt a lot like Election Day–packed and 4 of the 6 judges didn’t know what they were doing. I’m sure they got it figured out later in the day, it was early on their first day on the job. - G'Kar - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:06 pm: I’m old fashion–I like voting on election day. - Just Observing - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:10 pm: It seems like a waste of valuable time for Obama to fly here to vote early — I know it’s a press pop, but he would likely do more good being in a swing state than to fly her to vote when he could vote by mail. - Cindy Lou - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:14 pm: I voted this last Monday. My dinky village had a steady flow in and out of the library to do so most of the morning and on into afternoon. Quick and easy. I did have to show my id (no big deal for me and Peoria County lets you know that you have to bring id to vote early). Also my signature had to be compared and verified which I don’t recall signature being made such an issue before out here. Perhaps it has been and I’ve just not paid attention to it. - Dan Shields - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:16 pm: I’m old school I go to our Polling Place on Election Day. - Colossus - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:16 pm: I always bring my daughters into the booth with me, so I am in-person only. I think the ritual of voting in person will be helpful in establishing good habits in them from an early age. Plus I have precinct work to do that day, so I’m not going anywhere. - Very Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:20 pm: Why vote early? It’s not like the commercials would not still be on. Now, if you promised me the commercials would stop if I vote early — and no more phone calls — heck, yes, I’d vote early. - wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:23 pm: I like the ritual of walking to my neighborhood fieldhouse on a November morning. Plus, if you get there early enough, my election judges always have cookies and brownies. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:24 pm: “Wait der, Mister Miller …in da city we plan to vote early …early ‘an’ of-ten …so how do I partisipate in yer poll der?” Last snark … but I felt it was hanging out there like a slow-pitch 16 inch softball. Sorry. - Anonymoose - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:24 pm: Already voted. Working on election day in my home precinct. NOTE: Regardless of party ID, please encourage others to vote. - GA Watcher - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:25 pm: The kids are coming home from college this weekend to vote early. We are making it a family outing. - Lakewood-Balmoral - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:27 pm: Best way to stop the calls and mail! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:27 pm: ===Plus, if you get there early enough, my election judges always have cookies and brownies.=== That is Old School, Election Day tradtions being lost… like the Precinct Captain checking your name of THEIR poll sheet to give there 12 & 3 vote totals … There is a “magic” of voting on Election Day. No snark - Lil Enchilada - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:28 pm: Obama was in Davenport, Iowa yesterday (on the Illinois border). Going home to vote was not really out of his way. - Fire Anita Alvarez - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:29 pm: I voted early, at the Cook County Clerk’s office. It was packed. - wizard - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:29 pm: am retired and my voting place is only three blocks away with few people there when it opens. no need to drive thirty miles to vote early - late to the party - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:31 pm: Voting early for several reasons, but the two biggest reasons are so I can work on election day and to support a hopefully increasing demand for early voting everywhere. It’s asinine that our national election day is a Tuesday. I could go on forever about our regressive election laws, but I’ll save that for a different thread. - reformer - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:34 pm: I emjoy seeing my neighbors at the polling place on Election Day. I like to find out how many have voted so far that day, to see who is working outside the polling place, and to be part of what used to be our one-day civic ritual. - Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:50 pm: Like some others, I like the energy of voting on election day. B/c of campaigns only get to do it every so often, but I will this year. - Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 1:53 pm: ==It seems like a waste of valuable time for Obama to fly here to vote early== Worse! He arrives at O’Hare at 3:30 and departs at 6 - think that will jack up the Kennedy and the airport at all during rush hour? ==Obama was in Davenport, Iowa yesterday (on the Illinois border). Going home to vote was not really out of his way. == And after he left Davenport, he went to Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, overnighted on the plane to Tampa, then to Virginia, then here. So yeah, kinda out of the way, and would’ve made more sense to stop when he was going to/from Davenport - Just Observing - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:05 pm: === Voting early for several reasons, but the two biggest reasons are so I can work on election day and to support a hopefully increasing demand for early voting everywhere. It’s asinine that our national election day is a Tuesday. I could go on forever about our regressive election laws, but I’ll save that for a different thread. === Is voting really that regressive. Except for possibly online voting (which is probably too uncertain to use), how much easier can we make it? We now have a couple weeks of early voting, voting by mail, and a 12 hour election day. If one can’t get out and vote with all those options, perhaps they shouldn’t be voting. Frankly, I would like to see only a few days of early voting… not the weeks that we have now. - Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:23 pm: == how much easier can we make it? == Turn it around - why shouldn’t we do everything in our power to make it as easy as possible to vote? (For my money, Saturday would be a great day for that) I mean, unless your favored candidates are concerned about hearing from ALL of the voters. - Bluefish - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:26 pm: Thank you to all the early voters. You’re making the lines shorter for those of us who vote on election day. - Been There - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:29 pm: ===think that will jack up the Kennedy and the airport at all during rush hour?=== Look up. They have these neat things called helicopters now. The airport probably will be a worse mess. - Been There - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:32 pm: I always vote on election day. Actually gives me a reason to get away from whatever polling place I am working at. Plus as a bonus, my polling place is at a pancake house so I can always stop for breakfast or just sit down with a neighbor to talk politics for awhile. - Skeeter - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:35 pm: If I’m going to be working for somebody’s campaign that involves my ward, I like to vote on election day (either as soon as I know all my precincts have opened or later if there is really a rush or there fires to be put out). Doing so let’s me see what is really happening with the machines, etc., and that helps me throughout the day. - PublicServant - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:35 pm: I’ve got a daughter who’s turning 18 on November 4th, so I’m voting early to let her know some of the more esoteric things on the ballot that she will be asked to vote on. She’ll either then vote early herself, or on the 6th. - Responsa - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:43 pm: @Cindy Lou- Two election judges comparing the signatures for verification is the way it’s always done (or supposed to be) to assure that the voter is the same person who registered. It is required procedure both for in-person and absentee voting. Comparing signature also helps sort out the “same name” situation (for example a very common name, or a father and son Sr. and Jr.,living at the same address) before they vote–which can be a problem if the judge has forgotten to look at the birth date on the app and realize that the young kid standing in front of her was probably not born in 1970. - Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:43 pm: ==They have these neat things called helicopters now== So pithy - I feel zinged!!! Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back! - zatoichi - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:44 pm: Local voting takes maybe 10 minutes. If the line is more than 3 people it’s a packed house. Easy to do on election day. And a nifty ‘I voted’ sticker. - Just Observing - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:46 pm: === Turn it around - why shouldn’t we do everything in our power to make it as easy as possible to vote? (For my money, Saturday would be a great day for that) I mean, unless your favored candidates are concerned about hearing from ALL of the voters. === 1. Because it costs us taxpayers a lot of money each day voting is open. 2. It increases the costs of campaigning because candidates have to get their message and field campaign out even earlier. 3. It can possibly increase the risk of voter fraud. - Plutocrat03 - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:46 pm: Have never found it hard to vote on the official date, so I will vote tuesday….. (don’t have to show ID then…. ;’) ) I’m not annoyed by offering a couple weeks extra voting, but I recognize that it costs money to provide the additional voting opportunities. At some point in time, the extra costs do not justify the increased convenience. e.g. many ballots are bi-lingual, but there are tens of thousands who would find it more welcoming to vote in their native tongue. Apparently it is OK to draw a line somewhere. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:48 pm: I’m with word. My polling place is a short walk from the house, I can always use the exercise, and I wanna know turnout, blah blah blah. Old School. BTW, who picks up the tab for POTUS’ early vote pit stop in Chicago? The top cop spent five hours on the grill yesterday about his resources and how they are deployed-these stops require considerable support from the CPD. Couldn’t he just vote absentee? - Joe Bidenopoulous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:54 pm: JO- 1. I was suggesting a Saturday - make it the first Saturday in November (rather than the first Tuesday after the first Monday) and in some years, there will be fewer “campaign days” than we have today and in others, there will be more. On the whole it will be a wash and thus cost not a dime more. Beyond that, if it costs a few thousand, hundred thousand, or even millions to have open elections where everyone can participate, I’m fine with that. We can just give up farm subsidies or that extra war to pay for it. 2. I’m fine with early voting in place as it exists today; I wasn’t suggesting an expansion, so the point about extending the time to get voters to the polls is irrelevant to my argument (though maybe not to you). That said, those campaign workers are going to be working either way, whether it’s getting someone to the polls or recruiting someone to work E-day, so the point doesn’t hold a lot of water. 3. Voter fraud is a canard. Point out some instances of confirmed, proven widespread fraud - with convictions - and you can have that discussion. Beyond that, “voter fraud” is a conservative red herring that really means “voter suppression”. - NIref - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:55 pm: Election Day is my Christmas (I’m a PhD student in political science). Voting early is like opening your presents early. I’ll wait. Although, I would much rather Election Day be a national holiday or have the official polling open on the weekend. On a slightly unrelated note, early voting thus far has not shown any significant impact on voter turnout. The people who use it were going to vote anyway. - Way South of I-80 - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 2:55 pm: I voted as soon as I could. That way - no matter what happens between now & Election Day - my vote counts! - The NKI - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 3:00 pm: I enjoy voting both early and on election day. - D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 3:01 pm: Does voting in this poll count as voting early? Actually, I’ll be out on the hustings and have already voted. But while it takes away some romance not voting on Election Day, it makes so much more sense to spread it out. - Cincinnatus - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 3:12 pm: I voted early on the first day, to get it out of the way so I can work on election day. I am beginning to rethink my earlier support on EV. I miss seeing my neighbors on the day of the election at the polling place. Politically, with up to 30% early voting expected in some states this may not be the best idea around. There are events that may happen that may cause a voter to reconsider his vote. I think it may be better to instead have a longer voting period, like 2 consecutive days. On the plus side, voting early makes it easier to vote often, the Chicago Way, you know… - RNUG - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 3:14 pm: Cindy Lou, In my precinct, even on Election Day, they’ve always compared signatures. Since I’ve lived the same area almost forever, I personally know most the poll workers and election judges … but they still check. - RNUG - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 3:21 pm: No. I plan to get up on Election Day and walk the half block to the local polling place (which also happens to be my church). May even wlak with the wife if she gets up when I do. - Zool - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 4:05 pm: Voted early. Much more convenient. - Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 4:15 pm: I’m always asked to do a million things on election day so I’ve been early voting ever since it started in this State. - stevendmo@yahoo.com - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 4:26 pm: No. I like to feel that I’m part of that stream on the Big Day. Wake up eager to vote, and before I go to bed that same day, I’ll most likely know who won. (Of course, if my guy doesn’t win, I’ll just want to bury my head under the pillow Wednesday morning–no eagerness then.) - Just Observing - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 4:58 pm: Joe Bidenopoulous — Not all my comments were directly related to your Saturday suggestion, but just general comments about too much early voting. Anyways, there is early voting on Saturday, and keep in mind that the people that work jobs on Saturday’s tend to be poorer and more disadvantaged, so I’m not sure if Saturday voting would making voting less regressive. As for my voter fraud comment, I am not really referring to the fake voter fraud debate espoused recently within conservative circles. But I have been to Chicago polling places where the election judges were outwardly working for candidates and other shenanigans going on — I’m just saying it’s harder to monitor that when you have more days and more polling locations. - Liandro - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 5:53 pm: Yes, because it’s more convenient, and if something crazy comes up I already got it done. The only tough races are local, and I think I have made my decisions on them. I do agree with those who argue voting too early might make you miss some of the debate (sales tax hike on the ballot in Lee County, Constitutional amendment, etc, and I run into people who had no idea…geez). - Jimbo (jf) - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 6:06 pm: We vote a block away so why travel to vote early. BTW a flotilla (is that the word?) just flew over Ravenswood Manor a few minutes ago. I assume that was the President. - democrat Grrrl - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 7:30 pm: I am voting early because I am volunteering in a campaign on Election Day. - x ace - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 7:38 pm: No Way I’m Voting Early , I want the Half-Pint that Guido has waiting for me . Vote Early -Go Thirsty. - walkinfool - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 8:44 pm: Voted early, at site near my home in NW suburbs. Very heavy turnout, with lines out the door every day this week — almost all seniors. I don’t really know what to make of it. I’m guessing favors GOP so far. - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 25, 12 @ 9:22 pm: I always vote early its just easyer. ‘ Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.