* Background is here if you need it, but the Saline County Clerk is still behaving badly…
Saline Co. Dems tell me Buchanan's office denied them poll watcher credentials so they had to go through the Il Board of Elections. Poll watchers are appointed by parties & other groups to oversee elections to ensure fairness. They say they've never been denied credentials before
I’m hearing the same thing. She’s actually been going precinct to precinct to try and kick out the Democratic poll watchers. That’s really bizarre behavior.
Chicago officials said they were working to fix issues at precincts in the 42nd Ward and the 5th Ward.
The Chicago Board of Elections confirmed it was going to court to ask a judge to extend voting hours in five precincts in the city. Details on which precincts could be extended weren’t immediately clear.
All Sangamon County polling places opened on time Tuesday morning, and a steady flow of voters were casting ballots, according to County Clerk Don Gray. […]
Meanwhile, Gray said extra voting booths were being sent to at least three locations — St. Agnes Hall, Knights of Columbus No. 364 and Gardner Township Hall.
“We certainly had long lines,” Gray said. “People were anxious to get at it, and because of that, it would help to have a few more resources.” He said he expected the heavy morning turnout to “surface again after work.”
Arrived at my polling place at 5:50 a.m. to beat the rush, they were just starting to get organized and unpack stuff, and they did not start trying to check voters in until about 6:30 a.m.
Nothing but elderly poll workers with no tech skills, no experience with electoral process, and poor communications ability.
They started by demanding that already-registered voters register anew, claiming inaccurately that “that’s how they want us to do it,” then fell to arguing among themselves about how to process people as the line grew to 25+ people.
When they started trying again they immediately crashed or paralyzed all their tech — they had not rehearsed or anything and were entirely flummoxed by the check-in interfaces, etc. — and somehow destroyed my wife’s voter record in the process so she could only get a provisional ballot.
* From ISU…
THIS is voter suppression: offering ONE polling location to a campus of 21,000+ students (AND it’s also open to all of McLean County). Students should not have to wait an hour to cast a vote.
We’ve had students calling the McLean Co. Clerk’s office and Kathy Michael County Clerk said, “it’s an election. This just happens.” It does happen, but it shouldn’t.
Of the 1.5 million registered voters in the City of Chicago, 524,808 people had voted as of 12:50 p.m. That’s 34.9 percent of all registered voters hitting the polls before 1 p.m. on Election Day.
Chicago voter turnout numbers by age group reported before 12:50 p.m. on Election Day:
• Voters age 18 to 24: 25,576 of 139,138 registered voters (18.3 percent)
• Voters age 25 to 34: 100,231 of 352,583 registered voters (28.4 percent)
• Voters age 35 to 44: 85,477 of 272,865 registered voters (31.3 percent)
• Voters age 45 to 54: 82,028 of 232,071 registered voters (35.3 percent)
• Voters age 55 to 64: 94,295 of 228,211 registered voters (41.3 percent)
• Voters age 65 and up: 125,035 of 278,485 registered voters (44.9 percent).
…Adding… GOTV via presidential tweet…
Congressman Randy Hultgren (R) of Illinois is doing a great job. Get out and Vote for Randy - Total Endorsement!
Election Day 2018: Avowed Nazi and Congressional Nominee Art Jones delivers anti-Semitic rant at his polling place while Simon Wiesenthal Center Advisory Board Members Sean Tenner and Reverend Mitchell Johnson distribute materials about his Nazi background. Simon Wiesenthal was history’s most acclaimed Nazi hunter.
More of a question, it seems like there are more voters over the age of 45 then under in the City. If this holds true for the state, is it good or bad for the dems? The younger voter may be energized but if there are more older voters what’s it mean?
In my suburban Cook County precinct at 6:15 am, a similar story of poor training and organization by poll officials–people were emerging saying “complete Cluster *”, people were being asked for IDs, and a staffer didn’t know how to do a provisional ballot (all in about 15 minutes)
Not much activity at my polling place just now, but there were maybe a few people more than usual. I helped someone do a paper ballot—connect the arrows.
The remedy for the Saline County Clerk is first removal from office which I believe the AG can take action to start or the county officials. Criminal charges are a different level, but given the links that might be possible too. That she has just refused to a monthly financial report because she says its an illegal mandate is not how the law works.
I voted in Kane (Geneva) was a steady crowd but no lines. They said they had been very busy
Was odd when went to sign in they gave me a register to vote card. Told me to use that even though I am registered and then asked for my drivers license. I told them no do not need
I D they let me vote.
Hey Chicago voter. Bite us. Me and approx 20 like minded mid seventies folks spent 10 tough hours yesterday setting up and will do the same tomorrow tearing down
. Why dont you do something civic minded and be an election judge.
All these stories about Kane officials asking about party affiliation and requiring ID and requesting re-registration tell me one thing - The fix is in on Kane and a court should order a re-vote.
Voter suppression if you have to wait in line to cast a ballot? It may represent poor planning, but seriously, the College Democrats want to call this suppression?
I rather doubt all of the ISU students were registered to vote from their campus residences as opposed to their homes either.
If someone was pressed for time and did not utilize the numerous and convenient methods for early voting, he or she does not get much sympathy from me.
To speed up the lines, just get more pop-up booths. Or size the amount of pop-up booths each year to the length of the ballot.
Every precinct I have seen today (Chicago) with long lines has been exceedingly short on pop-up voting booths. 5 booths in my precinct this morning that had 45-minute to 1.25 hour lines all morning. Constant flow. Everyone waiting for a booth, not to check in.
It took me 8 minutes to fill out the ballot with ink and paper for all these judges and referenda. And I knew how I was voting.
@ 5 booths and 8 minutes per voter, that is only 37.5 voters per hour. If people only took 5 minutes to fill it out, that is a peak capacity of 60/hour, but then they are likely skipping the judges or just quickly selecting answers. The pace of voters during morning rush was 50/hr.
Double the number of booths there (to account for a ballot twice the size)… no line.
=====Double the number of booths there (to account for a ballot twice the size)… no line.
One way to do this is have tables with separators. In some places you are also given the option of just sitting at a table to fill out your ballot if you are not personally as concerned about privacy.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:13 pm:
==If someone was pressed for time and did not utilize the numerous and convenient methods for early voting, he or she does not get much sympathy from me.
I’m willing to give the Clerk the benefit of the doubt that this wasn’t purposeful, but it is the Clerk’s job to make voting efficient for the voters who she serves. While early voting is great, those who vote on election day should be able to vote in a reasonable amount of time.
The Art Jones footage is a good example why I will never vote Republican as long as I live. To paraphrase Andrew Gillum, it’s not that all Republicans are racist, but racists believe it’s their party.
It must be old age getting the better of me, but I remember when lines to vote were the norm (in the morning and evening for certain) and everyone was expected to vote on the exact same day. Absentee ballot procedures were restrictive and you had to complete an affidavit explaining why you were unable to vote in precinct. Early voting did not exist (apart from designated nursing homes). Today, there are numerous opportunities to vote early and anyone can apply to vote by mail. I served as an election judge and it always astonished me how voters would complain about having to wait to check in or for a polling booth to open. Most of the people were clueless about how much planning it takes to set up a polling place before the polls open and how the election authorities have to operate on a budget. Of course, we would always have angry voters who showed up late after the polls had closed and were irate that the doors had been locked.
“Voter suppression if you have to wait in line to cast a ballot? It may represent poor planning, but seriously, the College Democrats want to call this suppression?”
I don’t know if this is an example of it, but yes, a tried and true method of voter suppression is limiting polling places to create massive lines, thus forcing people to lose wages in order to vote. Just look at Dodge City Kansas. A bright blue town. They have only one polling place which they moved a mile outside of town and far away from any public transit. Yea, that was classic voter suppression.
- Sense of a Goose - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:35 pm:
Practical, how long do you think the wealthy wait in line to vote. There should be a proportional number of booths per voter in every precinct
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:38 pm:
Lincoln Park, 2nd ward.
Voted around 10:00. A line actually developed(which is quite unusual) while this guy argued that he voted by mail, but only voted for Erika Harold and he wanted to complete his ballot today. “You can’t vote twice?” he asked.
Scanner broken. Ballots going into giant box. “Special” pens running out of ink. A “helper” gave me a marker, which I declined.
I cannot read the mind of every county clerk responsible for administering elections (outside of those cities with election boards) nor do I know which ones are guided by partisan biases, but I do now that many choices relate to budgeting. It used to surprise me how little money was allocated to rent space to be used for polling places, let alone to conduct elections.
As for the College Democrats, I am simply not buying the argument that all 21,000 Illinois State students were voting at the Bone Center. If they are unhappy, they will have to vote the County Clerk out of office, but they might have to wait in line to do so.
Zero wait, zero problems. My polling place hosts multiple precincts. Did notice the count for the 3 precincts was 548 at the time, which might be a bit light.
I was voter 530 at my polling place in Ward 32 & Precinct 43 at 3:40p today, which is much higher than I remember from previous midterms when voting at about the same time.
West Central DuPage - Winfield 41. Line of a dozen when I went in. A little over 600 had voted just before 4. Four precincts - judges said turnout was really good.
Heres a novel idea. How about changing tje state constitution mandating municipal and local election coincide with state and federal. You can then cut back LGDF
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
A nice retirement gift for the Saline Clerk would be a trip to prison.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:06 pm:
I’m assuming the Chicago S-T’s numbers include early voting. Is that a good turnout? Bad? I need some comparison for those numbers to mean anything.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:06 pm:
It’s time for the Saline County clerk to be arrested
- BigLou - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:07 pm:
More of a question, it seems like there are more voters over the age of 45 then under in the City. If this holds true for the state, is it good or bad for the dems? The younger voter may be energized but if there are more older voters what’s it mean?
- In 630 - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:07 pm:
Election officials who basically hate that people try to vote is so maddening.
- Dee Lay - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:07 pm:
Surprised the IL AG or SA isn’t doing more about the Saline County Clerk.
- Justin - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
I was voter #112 in Nameoki Township 5 in Madison County, Illinois. Casted my vote around 12:30PM and voted the usual way I always do.
- Molly Maguire - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
In my suburban Cook County precinct at 6:15 am, a similar story of poor training and organization by poll officials–people were emerging saying “complete Cluster *”, people were being asked for IDs, and a staffer didn’t know how to do a provisional ballot (all in about 15 minutes)
- Pick a Name - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:12 pm:
Bad for the dems Lou—-baaaaaaaaad
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:12 pm:
Not much activity at my polling place just now, but there were maybe a few people more than usual. I helped someone do a paper ballot—connect the arrows.
- Perrid - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
@ Montrose, google is your friend. https://chicagoelections.com/en/election-results.html
It looks like in 2014 there were 668k ballots, 48.81%, and in 2010 there were 705k ballots, 52.88.
Considering the day is basically less than half over, I’d think Chicago is set to have more votes than in other midterms, though time will tell.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:20 pm:
–wordslinger - has there ever been an election where a down ballot candidate’s coattails pulled out an election for the top of the ticket?–
Like I said, there was much Jamesons involved.
- 13TH - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:20 pm:
Check out WSIL TV 3 news coverage of yesterday about what the clerk was doing
- Highland IL - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:25 pm:
Just voted here in Madison County. I was voter 199, no lines.
It was funny hearing an older gentleman ask the judges where was the circle to vote straight Democrat.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:25 pm:
Ridiculously windy out here, signs blowing away. Parking lots still busy, but slowed.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
One of my nieces recently turned 18 and is going to register to vote today. According to my brother, she is going to vote for the “blue team”.
- SAP - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
Why is President Trump encouraging people to vote for Underwood?
- njt16 - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:28 pm:
===The younger voter may be energized but if there are more older voters what’s it mean?===
Younger are more likely to not be registered, so that will drive difference in the above data.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:32 pm:
@Perrid Thanks, but I wanted to know how the numbers compared for the same point in time, not overall. That data may not exist.
- Archpundit - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:33 pm:
Wow, that’s a big line at Bone Student Center. That’s unacceptable.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
==Why is President Trump encouraging people to vote for Underwood?==
Maybe he thinks it’s Frank Underwood?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:36 pm:
Trump tweeting for Hultgren?
Roskam must be taken as “lost”?
- BearFighter - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:37 pm:
Congrats to Marty for getting Freddy Mercury to stump for him.
- Archpundit - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:42 pm:
The remedy for the Saline County Clerk is first removal from office which I believe the AG can take action to start or the county officials. Criminal charges are a different level, but given the links that might be possible too. That she has just refused to a monthly financial report because she says its an illegal mandate is not how the law works.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:42 pm:
I voted in Kane (Geneva) was a steady crowd but no lines. They said they had been very busy
Was odd when went to sign in they gave me a register to vote card. Told me to use that even though I am registered and then asked for my drivers license. I told them no do not need
I D they let me vote.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:42 pm:
Hey Chicago voter. Bite us. Me and approx 20 like minded mid seventies folks spent 10 tough hours yesterday setting up and will do the same tomorrow tearing down
. Why dont you do something civic minded and be an election judge.
- Ok - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
Blue Dog Dem — by mid-seventies folks do you mean age or bell-bottoms?
- Streamwood Retiree - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:54 pm:
All these stories about Kane officials asking about party affiliation and requiring ID and requesting re-registration tell me one thing - The fix is in on Kane and a court should order a re-vote.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:56 pm:
“Ridiculously windy out here, signs blowing away. Parking lots still busy, but slowed.”
Wait, so after all that, it turns out the big sign stealer was God???
- Practical Politics - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 2:58 pm:
Voter suppression if you have to wait in line to cast a ballot? It may represent poor planning, but seriously, the College Democrats want to call this suppression?
I rather doubt all of the ISU students were registered to vote from their campus residences as opposed to their homes either.
If someone was pressed for time and did not utilize the numerous and convenient methods for early voting, he or she does not get much sympathy from me.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:01 pm:
The GOP must be very proud of their nominee.
- Ok - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:06 pm:
A simple proposal:
To speed up the lines, just get more pop-up booths. Or size the amount of pop-up booths each year to the length of the ballot.
Every precinct I have seen today (Chicago) with long lines has been exceedingly short on pop-up voting booths. 5 booths in my precinct this morning that had 45-minute to 1.25 hour lines all morning. Constant flow. Everyone waiting for a booth, not to check in.
It took me 8 minutes to fill out the ballot with ink and paper for all these judges and referenda. And I knew how I was voting.
@ 5 booths and 8 minutes per voter, that is only 37.5 voters per hour. If people only took 5 minutes to fill it out, that is a peak capacity of 60/hour, but then they are likely skipping the judges or just quickly selecting answers. The pace of voters during morning rush was 50/hr.
Double the number of booths there (to account for a ballot twice the size)… no line.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:06 pm:
===Wait, so after all that, it turns out the big sign stealer was God???===
Or Mother Nature, suburban soccer mom?
- 17% Solution - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:08 pm:
No Presidential tweet for Rauner or Harold?
- Archpundit - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:11 pm:
=====Double the number of booths there (to account for a ballot twice the size)… no line.
One way to do this is have tables with separators. In some places you are also given the option of just sitting at a table to fill out your ballot if you are not personally as concerned about privacy.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:13 pm:
At least it’s an easy Nazi hunt.
- Archpundita - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:13 pm:
==If someone was pressed for time and did not utilize the numerous and convenient methods for early voting, he or she does not get much sympathy from me.
I’m willing to give the Clerk the benefit of the doubt that this wasn’t purposeful, but it is the Clerk’s job to make voting efficient for the voters who she serves. While early voting is great, those who vote on election day should be able to vote in a reasonable amount of time.
- Actual Red - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:19 pm:
The Art Jones footage is a good example why I will never vote Republican as long as I live. To paraphrase Andrew Gillum, it’s not that all Republicans are racist, but racists believe it’s their party.
- Practical Politics - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:22 pm:
@Archpundita:
It must be old age getting the better of me, but I remember when lines to vote were the norm (in the morning and evening for certain) and everyone was expected to vote on the exact same day. Absentee ballot procedures were restrictive and you had to complete an affidavit explaining why you were unable to vote in precinct. Early voting did not exist (apart from designated nursing homes). Today, there are numerous opportunities to vote early and anyone can apply to vote by mail. I served as an election judge and it always astonished me how voters would complain about having to wait to check in or for a polling booth to open. Most of the people were clueless about how much planning it takes to set up a polling place before the polls open and how the election authorities have to operate on a budget. Of course, we would always have angry voters who showed up late after the polls had closed and were irate that the doors had been locked.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:23 pm:
Between 12:50 and 2:50, Chicago went from 524,000 to 633,000 votes cast. Seems to me we are on track to pass the 705,000 total from 2010.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:25 pm:
“Voter suppression if you have to wait in line to cast a ballot? It may represent poor planning, but seriously, the College Democrats want to call this suppression?”
I don’t know if this is an example of it, but yes, a tried and true method of voter suppression is limiting polling places to create massive lines, thus forcing people to lose wages in order to vote. Just look at Dodge City Kansas. A bright blue town. They have only one polling place which they moved a mile outside of town and far away from any public transit. Yea, that was classic voter suppression.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:27 pm:
Meanwhile on Planet Lucky Pierre…
- Sense of a Goose - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:35 pm:
Practical, how long do you think the wealthy wait in line to vote. There should be a proportional number of booths per voter in every precinct
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:38 pm:
Lincoln Park, 2nd ward.
Voted around 10:00. A line actually developed(which is quite unusual) while this guy argued that he voted by mail, but only voted for Erika Harold and he wanted to complete his ballot today. “You can’t vote twice?” he asked.
Scanner broken. Ballots going into giant box. “Special” pens running out of ink. A “helper” gave me a marker, which I declined.
- LINK - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:40 pm:
At 325 PM, I was visitor 1260 at the Chatham, Illinois offices with a steady stream coming and going.
- Practical Politics - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
I cannot read the mind of every county clerk responsible for administering elections (outside of those cities with election boards) nor do I know which ones are guided by partisan biases, but I do now that many choices relate to budgeting. It used to surprise me how little money was allocated to rent space to be used for polling places, let alone to conduct elections.
As for the College Democrats, I am simply not buying the argument that all 21,000 Illinois State students were voting at the Bone Center. If they are unhappy, they will have to vote the County Clerk out of office, but they might have to wait in line to do so.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:50 pm:
3:00 PM-Voter 430 at Capital 85 (K of C 364.) Judges say this is busiest midterm they can recall.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:52 pm:
Zero wait, zero problems. My polling place hosts multiple precincts. Did notice the count for the 3 precincts was 548 at the time, which might be a bit light.
- LoganListener - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:53 pm:
I was voter 530 at my polling place in Ward 32 & Precinct 43 at 3:40p today, which is much higher than I remember from previous midterms when voting at about the same time.
For what it’s worth.
- Not a Superstar - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 3:56 pm:
=== Roskam must be taken as “lost”? ===
I just assumed Trump cares about Hultgren because Underwood is a black woman and Breitbart/Pravda ran a hit piece.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:02 pm:
Hey, at least Kim Buchanan is being unfair to both sides: https://twitter.com/AndrewFeatherTV/status/1059923017025941506
- RNUG - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:03 pm:
Should have mentioned it was Capitol / Woodside precincts.
- train111 - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:03 pm:
West Central DuPage - Winfield 41. Line of a dozen when I went in. A little over 600 had voted just before 4. Four precincts - judges said turnout was really good.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:03 pm:
Ok. Age. But today i feel 80
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:06 pm:
Heres a novel idea. How about changing tje state constitution mandating municipal and local election coincide with state and federal. You can then cut back LGDF
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 4:11 pm:
I’m shutting this post down to make way for our final precinct report thread of the day: https://capitolfax.com/2018/11/06/late-afternoonearly-evening-precinct-reports-2/