Anybody have any precinct reports?
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I almost forgot…
Polls are open today for the special election in the 18th Congressional District.
The race, between Republican Darin LaHood and Democrat Rob Mellon, will fill the remainder of former Rep. Aaron Schock’s term.
The unusual Thursday election date in a holiday week was set by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
- 29th Warder - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:53 am:
Were there any debates between the 2?
- G'Kar - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:54 am:
I voted before 8 this morning in a small town. When I walked in, there was one other person voting and one of the election judges quipped “Ah-Oh, looks like we have a crush of voters.” She told me you could count the number on voters up to that point on two hands.
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:54 am:
At 10:00, I was number 35 in precincts 20,24 in north Normal. Due to anticipated low numbers, the two precincts were combined instead of being separate but in the same building. Saves on having to pay a larger number of election judges to sit waiting for voters.
- G'Kar - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:54 am:
_Were there any debates between the 2?-
At least two–one in Peoria and one in Springfield.
- 29th Warder - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:58 am:
Democrats should give credit to Governor Rauner for the innovative decision to hold an Election on a Thursday. This is why they should embrace his innovative “Turn Around Agenda”
- Roamin' Numeral - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:02 am:
At 9:15, I was the 11th voter in my precinct on the west side of Springfield. Three precincts vote at my polling place. I was the 40th voter for the 3 combined at that time. Low turnout doesn’t begin to describe the situation.
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:08 am:
While I’m sure it’s great to be a member of congress, I’m sure it does bother someone when their popular mandate isn’t enough folks to fill a high school football stadium.
- Rayne of Terror - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:08 am:
I voted last week at the Bloomington gov’t building and the ladies there begged me to tell people to come vote. Turnout was so slow that they didn’t have any ballots ready and I had to wait 15 minutes for them to get everything ready for me to darken one circle.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:16 am:
I am so disappointed in the candidates that I may not vote. The Democrats have not seriously sought this office for decades. It is hard to have elections when there are no meaningful choices. Word in my area is that turnout will be very small.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:18 am:
Has Mellon conceded yet?
- Betenly - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:18 am:
A little after 8am, I was the 15th voter at my polling place (for 2 combined precincts) on the west side of Springfield.
- A Jack - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:21 am:
Unfortunately more people are interested in who wins “Big Brother” than who will represent them for the next year in Congress.
- Midstate Indy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:22 am:
Heard Mellon won 23-19. Credited sweeping GOTV efforts for landslide victory.
- COPN - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:27 am:
==Were there any debates between the 2?==
At the end of last month:
SJ-R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPwEunVtRM
Illinois Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TgqVFeTME8
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:27 am:
Darn it. Completely forgot and I’m out of town. Well, I guess there will only be 8 votes for Mellon in my county instead of 9.
- Forgottonia Republic - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:34 am:
In my very rural western Illinois precinct I was voter number nine at about 8am this morning — and that was counting the six election judges who had voted first thing.
- Norseman - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:34 am:
I’m going to cast my protest vote against LaHood this afternoon. Let you know count then.
- anon - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:51 am:
Good Norseman, our 2 votes for LaHood will trump your one protest vote against.
- Finally Out (and now very glad to be) - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 11:56 am:
anon….and my vote against LaHood with Norseman will trump your two votes!
- Mokenavince - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:02 pm:
Odd day to hold an election. GOP seems to like secret elections and keeping people from voting.
- Downstate GOP - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
==I’m going to cast my protest vote against LaHood this afternoon. Let you know count then.==
Silliness.
- Norseman - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:12 pm:
58 in my 2 precinct combined polling place.
P.S. To Downstate GOP. Bite me.
- El Duderino - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:17 pm:
==Unfortunately more people are interested in who wins “Big Brother” than who will represent them for the next year in Congress.===
Go Johnny Mac!
- RMWStamford - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:21 pm:
Voted at noon allin precinct, 25 votes cast
- Adam Smith - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:39 pm:
Yep, it’s a GOP conspiracy to hold a “secret” election. Just like the Dems conspired to rig the special election for Robin Kelly.
Absent the GOP evil-doing, most special elections for Congress will rack up huge turnout. Glad someone exposed the conspiracy.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 12:43 pm:
I pulled into my polling place and thought I was in the wrong location. The place was practically deserted. Less than 75 people had voted - and my place has three precincts in one area.
- illini - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 1:58 pm:
Very sad commentaries on this election. Trying to figure out what this says about our system - sad!!!
AJack is probably right - and we wonder why there is so much dysfunction in our federal system.
People ( or many of them ) just don’t give a damn.
- illini - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 1:59 pm:
And that is a very sad comment.
- Splitf - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
#67 in pct 43 in Bloomington my prediction in 66 LaHood to my 1 for Mellon.
- Capitol View - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
turnout out extremely light in Chatham…
- Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:55 pm:
Reporting that I refuse to even vote in this. I have Future Schock.
- Keyser Soze - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 4:50 pm:
With such a strange district boundary, many people showed up at my polling place only to be told that weren’t in the district.
- Rayne of Terror - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 5:23 pm:
My husband voted at 5 and was #95 in a 4 precinct combo polling place.
- South Of I-80 - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 6:45 pm:
The real question is do people actually remember the write in candidate’s names or do they write a random name in when they don’t want LaHood or Mellon ?
- BobInPeoria - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 6:52 pm:
Keyser(Who is Keyser Soze?)….Congressional districts do not have to include 100% of a voting precinct, although that would make the most sense to most people.
Guess who you may thank for these confusing(you could even call them “gerrymandered”) US Congressional districts?
- BobInPeoria - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 6:55 pm:
Oh, precinct update from Tazewell County. Less than 20 voters at our multi-precinct polling place, when we voted in the PM.
LaHood put 20 times more effort into the GOP Primary election. Am judging by ads, robocalls, and mailings.
- Bemused - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 7:53 pm:
I was #17 at my north east Springfield precinct at 2pm.
- Tyrone - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 9:41 pm:
125 in my east side Bloomington Precinct at 5:15
- AlabamaShake - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 10:15 pm:
Did Susana Mendoza support the Republican again? Maybe cut an ad for LaHood?