* The Illinois Policy Institute’s headline is about as false as false can get…
Alderman warns Pritzker could close Illinois polling places due to COVID-19
What?
Nope, nope and nope.
* Ald. Burke’s letter did not even mention the governor or the state…
* To the IPI story…
A Chicago alderman’s warning about sudden polling place closures thanks to COVID-19 orders has a Cook County commissioner asking Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reassure voters a statewide closure will not be used to impact the election.
The concern was prompted when embattled Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, 14th Ward, sent a letter to constituents urging early voting to avoid sudden Election Day closures.
“Remember, thirty percent of the polling locations in the 14th Ward have been relocated due to COVID-19. With COVID-19 on the rise, the likelihood of polling place locations closing is possible, without notice, as happened in the March election,” Burke’s letter states.
That set off Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, a Republican from Palos Park, who called on Pritzker to tell voters he would not issue shutdown orders for Election Day gain.
“I publicly challenge the governor to assure Illinois voters he will not interfere with the November 3rd election by proclaiming an emergency COVID shutdown similar to the one he proclaimed in March,” Morrison told Illinois Review.
Commissioner Morrison’s memory is faulty. The governor did not shut down the primary, despite pressure to do so from the far left. He also didn’t order a single polling place closure.
* But I asked anyway, and Pritzker’s spokesperson Jorday Abudayyeh said “The governor is not going to stop the election from taking place,” adding, “We have given instructions to locals on how best to conduct elections in this environment and polling places are not subject to the mitigation.”
- Roadrager - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:33 am:
Weird how one party seems to be so deeply invested in suppressing the vote.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:37 am:
IPI has consistently been a wholly dishonest actor in all things Illinois.
Be it pensions, budgets, now elections… IPI slums have already proven… proven… they can’t do the governing part… now they are showing they refuse honesty to thought in elections.
You wonder why I say the worst resume has both Rauner Administration and IPI alum… here we are again… not about a better Illinois, but hurting Illinois… because like both Rauner and IPI… they know how unpopular their views are… they need voter depression.
Pathetic.
- walker - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:44 am:
One would think Pritzker and Dems would benefit from a higher turnout, not a lower one.
But this isn’t about anything but continuing false attacks on character and image.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:48 am:
What is frustrating to me in these types of election meddling is that no one is ever charged with a crime.
When the California Republican Party put out unauthorized ballot collection boxes then ignored a government order to remove them, no one was charged.
In both cases, the “party” doesn’t make these decisions. Individuals do. And they should be held legally accountable.
- thoughts matter - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:50 am:
I believe that the state has no intention of closing polling places or refusing entry beyond asking people to socially distance.
If a polling place is closed it’s going to be due to the lack of enough election judges to staff it.
- illinifan - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:53 am:
At least IPI is the consistent in their dishonesty
- Roman - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 11:56 am:
For the record, those polling places Burke is referring to that did close during the primary were shut down or moved because poll workers, worried about the pandemic, refused to show up. For the same reason, some building owners who were scheduled to host polling places withdrew from rental agreements at the last minute. Nothing to do with Pritzker, who as Rich points out, was catching tons a flack for doing just the opposite—keeping polls open.
Not that the IPI or Sean Morrison are gonna let facts get in the way.
- Collinsville Kevin - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 12:08 pm:
They have no sense of shame or decency.
- Socially DIstant watcher - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 12:26 pm:
IPI should know better, but so should Sean Morrison.
- Dotnonymous - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
Ald. Burke just wanted to make sure his Black and Brown folks voted.
- IL Concerned - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 12:36 pm:
This should require legal action or a criminal charge against them.
- thisjustinagain - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 2:19 pm:
Once again, the Illinois Propaganda Institute steps up and shows why Republicans lose year after year.
I mean, C’mon man. Ya gotta troll harder than that.
- CEA - Friday, Oct 30, 20 @ 2:58 pm:
That’s shocking, because until now the IPI has always been so scrupulously truthful.