Mid-morning precinct reports
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Chicago Elections Board is reporting extremely low turnout, just 10,000 in the first hour.
Here’s a list of news media campaign update pages with the latest headlines. Click the links throughout the day to stay updated…
* Sun-Times: Election judges report sanitizer shortages: ‘I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do’
* WBEZ: Virus doesn’t stop Illinois election
* SJ-R: Primary Election Day updates: Polls are open, all are staffed
* Tribune: https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200317/primary-election-day-updates-polls-are-open-all-are-staffed
* NBC 5: DuPage County Clerk announces that more than 9,800 votes had been cast as of 8 a.m. No additional polling places were closed in the county Tuesday, but 17 closures were previously announced, all of which were relocated to the DuPage County Fairgrounds.
* Daily Herald: Seven Lake County polling places to change due to pandemic
If you run across any other such links, please let me know.
* How are things looking like by you? Tell us what you see and where you are. Thanks.
[Comments are closed. Fresh thread is here.]
- stixhix - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:53 am:
Just voted. Three small town precincts in eastern Dewitt Count at one voting place. Fully staffed, voters present, no delays.
- SWIL_Voter - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:54 am:
In Alton, finally went and checked on my precinct. 3 voters and they only have 9 disinfecting wipes and no other cleaning supplies to get them through the day. Unconscionable they allowed this to proceed. Wholly illegitimate
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:56 am:
Maybe people got smart and either voted early or got a mail in ballot.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:56 am:
Again, stick to the topic. Nobody wants to read this for your debate points. Provide information only. Thanks!
- Out in DuPage - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:57 am:
Hi, in Glen Ellyn the public library is closed but the polling place there is open (and it opened on time). More than half of the assigned election judges called in unavailable due to whatever reason. Don’t know the turnout.
- Amy - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 9:59 am:
Karen Yarborough emailed all election judges five days ago assuring our health was her priority and she would provide hand sanitizer for judges and wipes for the pens and screens. We received nothing last night when setting up the polling places. When contacting the Board of Elections via email we received no response and they won’t answer the phone. Voters are disgusted about sharing pens and filthy touch screens and asking how we are sanitizing everything. We are honest…we are not as nothing was provided. Wouldn’t be so angry if Yarborough hadn’t emailed saying she would provide everything.
- Leatherneck - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:00 am:
Number 40 in my Sangamon County polling place (Chatham 3 & 4). Only me and another person there at the time I was there, around 8:30.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:01 am:
Quentin Road lake county 7 am 6 voters and election judges but people drifting in.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:07 am:
“Wouldn’t be so angry if Yarborough hadn’t emailed saying she would provide everything.”
Yup. She is not prepared for this type of situation.
I early voted a couple of days ago and there was a healthy crowd, but nowhere near what it was four years ago. It is possible that people will show up later, because they’re not “voting before work” due to being at home…but all signs are pointing to an extremely low turnout.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:08 am:
Was #36 at 9:00 in my little corner of DuPage County. Usually in mid 30s around 8 so a bit slow. Enough judges AND hand sanitizer.
- Livco - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:09 am:
Dead across the 45th Ward in Chicago.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:18 am:
Voted early yesterday afternoon. When arrived, 5 in front of me, several voting and 6 behind.
- Goose egg - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:21 am:
Karen Yarbrough promised safety precautions for our election employees. Her failure to follow through most certainly will result in COVID 19 risk. My thoughts and prayers are with the elderly election judges and workers.
- Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:24 am:
116 voters as of 10:00. Fewer than expected but everyone coming in has been pretty upbeat and friendly. Judges have been thanked numerous times for showing up and doing our job.
- Logan Square - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:33 am:
City voter in Logan Square. Polling station was closed with no notice. My wife and I had checked the CBOE website and twitter pages for the week leading up hoping for guidance. Nothing. Checked again this morning and website is still saying my polling station is open.
Now we’ve been directed to our early voting location 4 miles away. We will try to drive over this afternoon. I anticipate it will be a madhouse–if so, I don’t know if we’ll risk it.
Seems the CBOE could have been a bit better prepared than this. Not sure why they didn’t fold my precinct into the one next door rather than sending us to the early voting location.
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:36 am:
Number 23 in my rural eastern Sangamon county precinct. Voters will probably be spread out throughout the day rather than bunched before and after work. I voted later than I normally do, and my voter number was higher than normal.
- Cook - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:38 am:
In NW Cook Suburbs, crickets at our double polling place. Only race was State’s Atty and Supreme Ct.
No wipes but we brought our own.
- Abbey - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:39 am:
Number 36 around 10 am in La Salle County. It’s a combined precinct and normally doesn’t have a large turnout. There was a jar of hand sanitizer near the machine that collects the ballots.
- Progressive Guy - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:41 am:
Voted in Western Suburbs at like 8:00 this morning. Absolutely abandoned in terms of voters.
Used to seeing perhaps 20 or 30 people in line, this time there were a total of 4 voters while I was there - including me and my wife.
- Stuck on the Third Floor - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:47 am:
Near West side in Springfield, 4 combined precincts (CAPITAL 32/42/26/50). No lines, all precinct check-in tables were manned. The precinct verification table was unmanned, but there were multiple booklets to verify your precinct.
Don’t lick your fingers to turn the pages, that’s a gross habit anyway.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 10:53 am:
I’m in the southwest burbs, and as many here know, very near the border of plainfield(but thankfully not in it).
My preceinct had all the judges and turnout was actually pretty decent already by 9:30 with 59 people having voted. That actually seems a bit higher than a regular primary.
I brought in my own black pen, as the county(Will) clerk had recommended.
For the judges, I brought in a box of 40 nitrile gloves(and wore a pair myself) and told them to take as many of them as they wanted.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:09 am:
Just voted in (you guessed it) 32nd Ward, 21st precinct. Share polling place with 25th precinct. They said the turnout has been light. Election judges all there. 6 more people turned up after me and my son (for the first time) voted. Tape on the floor to stand 6 feet apart. Hand sanitizer and wipes were available. Election judge wiped the pens down after each use and reminded us to stand apart 6 feet.
- The Old Professor - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:14 am:
Voted at the Urbana Free Library (which is otherwise closed, except for the auditorium today) around 10 am. Not very busy, just two election workers (both under 40). They were grateful I brought my own pen.
- Lynn S. - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:17 am:
I’m in Champaign County.
Early voted yesterday at the county administrative center. #2200 and something. Probably about 5-6 other people there when I was (late afternoon).
Don’t know how my number compares to normal early voting at this site. Also don’t know how much early voting here was driven by spring break vs. virus.
The significant other’s polling place may have been changed yesterday, due to lack of staff. We’ll find out when he goes to vote this afternoon.
- very old soil - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:24 am:
At 10, I was number 10 in western Stephenson County
- Interested Bystander - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:25 am:
At a relocated precinct from a nursing home to Rolling Meadows courthouse. 7 relocated precincts from various townships located in a large area. Only 1 voter for our precinct so far at 11:20am, but others in the area have had in the 10-20 range. Sanitizing wipes brought for all precincts here.
- Galesburger - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:29 am:
Voter Number 30 in Galesburg Precinct 16 at 9:30am. Both precinct 16 & 18 fully staffed with election judges, and hand sanitizer was available. I was the only one there voting at that time.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:35 am:
My polling place in Springfield had its usual traffic for a primary or election day. Election judges were wiping down voting booth surfaces between voters.
- revvedup - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:36 am:
Cook County, Thornton Township observation:
Apparently the County screwed up again, and mailed me a notice telling me my polling place had changed….wait for it….to the same place it’s always been. The notice was received Monday afternoon.
- Arguenda - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 11:53 am:
Might have missed it — please thank all of the volunteers at the polls.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 20 @ 12:05 pm:
Comments are closed. Fresh thread is here