DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces “Vote Anywhere” Election Day voting for 2022. DuPage will be the first county in Illinois to launch the option for voters to cast a ballot in any one of its 263 polling places, instead of limiting the choice to a voter’s precinct polling place or vote center.
“Now voters may cast their ballot conveniently at a polling place near their job or school, instead of rushing to or from their home precinct,” County Clerk Kaczmarek says. “Best of all, DuPage voters will no longer be turned away on Election Day for being in the wrong polling place in the county.” […]
“Two developments late in 2021 combined to create “Vote Anywhere” Election Day. In October, our office purchased the new Hart Verity complete print-on-demand voting system, so we no longer need to stockpile pre-printed ballots at polling places for just three or four precincts. After check-in, each voter now receives their freshly printed ballot on site. In November, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation allowing each county to set up multiple vote centers where residents from all over the county can vote outside their home polling places on Election Day,” County Clerk Kaczmarek says.
Following a primary where problems popped up at polling places citywide, Chicago election officials are preparing to shrink the number of voting precincts by nearly 40% and are squeezing the cuts in just months before the contentious midterm election in November. […]
Officials with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said the recalibration is expected to save as much as $2 million because the board will have fewer supply costs and won’t need to hire as many election judges to work the polls on Election Day. A spokesman for the board also said the cuts will help election officials focus on ensuring that more precinct polling locations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, work the city has been slow to address. […]
[Ami Gandhi, a senior counsel for voting rights with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights] noted that in the June primary some voters were turned away from voting on Election Day after the city announced weeks earlier that 73 precincts would be without polling places and 56 polling places opened late primarily due to election judge shortages. […]
Diana Thomas, 59, has lived on the same block in the 34th Ward for decades and prefers to vote in person. But when she showed up this past June shortly before the polls closed, she found herself in the wrong place. Her polling place had changed in 2020, and she said the security guard at the Wentworth Commons apartment building, where she voted for years prior, couldn’t help her. Without time or a way to find the right polling place, Thomas wasn’t able to cast a ballot in the primary. […]
Since 2012, there have been 2,069 precincts. Under the cuts that are about to occur, the number of precincts citywide will drop to 1,290, officials say.
* The Question: Should Chicago and other Illinois jurisdictions adopt DuPage-style “Vote Anywhere” election day procedures? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
Illinois’ Republican National Committeewoman, Demetra Demonte, called the FBI retrieval of classified documents from President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate an “unprecedented weaponization of law enforcement against its political opponents.”
“This is not the first time President Trump, Republicans and conservatives have been unfairly targeted by the D.O.J. and the F.B.I. We need to know why this unprecedented action was taken, we need facts, we need the affidavit, we need transparency, we need accountability and we need it now,” she said.
Demonte said she’s encouraged about Republicans’ prospects in the fall, because support and campaign contributions have increased since the raid.
* First it was John Catanzara of the Chicago FOP, and now SDG…
Stacy Davis Gates at the City Club today confirms she is NOT running for mayor. "Everybody in this room know y'all need a new mayor… but it won't be me. I really love my job. I am really honored to serve this city, because this union serves more than just its core membership."
Sometimes people send me questions about voting machines, election protection and/or election security. Here's an opportunity to learn more about what the IL SBE is doing:https://t.co/UenJELjet5
Today, Senator Tom Cotton is endorsing Chris Dargis for Congress in Illinois’s 8th District. Cotton cited Dargis’ record of public service, success in business, and commitment to his community in the endorsement.
Senator Cotton released the following statement endorsing Dargis:
Chris Dargis is a man of action who will tackle the challenges in Washington head on. A Navy veteran, a business leader, and a family man, he exemplifies everything we want our Congressional representatives to be. I’m proud to endorse Chris Dargis, and ask the voters of the 8th district to send a problem solver to Washington.
Chris Dargis thanks Senator Cotton with the following statement:
I’m humbled by Senator Cotton’s support in my campaign. He is a fighter for our nation and I know that working together in Washington, we can fix the mess Washington Democrats have created. We will bring down the outrageous cost of living, make our streets safe again, and enact energy policy that will make us energy independent once again.
* Press release…
Going back to school has never been more challenging. From inflation to shortages, nothing about getting kids ready and dropped off at the classroom is simple – and Joe Biden and Lauren Underwood are doing nothing to change that.
Scott Gryder, Kendall County Board Chairman and Republican nominee for IL-14, knows that families deserve better. As your next U.S. Representative, Scott Gryder will deliver positive change for students and families:
“Sending kids back to school this year brings new worries and anxieties – thanks to Lauren Underwood and Joe Biden.
Democrats’ tax-and-spend agenda has caused the price of school supplies to skyrocket, costing families, on average, an additional $168. The increase in gas prices is forcing parents to pay $2,200 more at the pump, and with school bus driver shortages, driving to school is the only option for many families across our state.
Instead of focusing on relief, the Underwood-Biden agenda is digging in on higher costs and higher taxes. Earlier this month, Lauren Underwood voted in support of the Inflation Reduction Act – a massive spending bill that will raise taxes on working families, hurt our already-weak economy, and do absolutely nothing to reduce inflation.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden and his Education Department are on a mission to eliminate options for families and force every student to receive a government-issued education. Last month, Biden signed a final rule that makes it more challenging for new charter schools to form and existing ones to receive grant money – not surprisingly, it also gives the federal government greater authority over them.
I believe that every family deserves their choice of an affordable, top-notch school that will provide students with a quality education and prepare them for whatever life path they aspire to – regardless of their zip code. That’s why as your representative, I will fight to end the reckless tax-and-spend agenda Lauren Underwood has spent her time in Congress championing. And when it comes to school choice, I will work to give power back to charter schools, and I will fight for increased tax credits for families wanting to send their children to private schools.
Lauren Underwood has voted with Joe Biden 100% of the time. She’s not in Congress to work for you, she serves at Joe Biden’s beck and call. And while Underwood thinks she can dupe you with empty promises and take more of your tax dollars just to shove your kids into understaffed and failing public schools, I will always fight for you and your family. Enough is enough – it’s time to take our district back and restore the hope and promise that every first day should bring.”
* Sen. Napoleon Harris unifies rivals in new role for Thornton Township Democrats: The standing room only crowd in the penthouse of a U.S. Bank building off Sibley Boulevard felt like a friendly reunion of the feuding Hatfield and McCoy families. Attendees included Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark and former Mayor Eric Kellogg, whom Clark replaced when Kellogg was forced from office because of term limits. Calumet City Mayor and state Rep. Thaddeus Jones mingled with guests and shared space with two of his political adversaries, city Clerk Nyota Figgs and Ald. Monet Wilson, who challenged Jones in the recent primary for the 29th District House seat. Former Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers attended, as did five Dolton Village Board members who are battling Mayor Tiffany Henyard in brutal legal and political fights. Henyard. who replaced Zuccarelli as Thornton Township supervisor, looked like a no-show but made an appearance just as Harris concluded his public remarks, 90 minutes after the event’s scheduled start. Harris delivered a clear message that even if people do not like each other, they will be expected to work together for the betterment of communities in Thornton Township.
* Frerichs trying to talk way out of pension tax hike remarks: Here’s how The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported what Frerichs now says he never said. “Frerichs added an argument for the progressive income tax is taxing retirement income of those who can afford it. He said he knows people who receive six-figure yearly pensions and do not pay (state) income tax, but the current system doesn’t differentiate between them and retirees who barely get by on their savings and pensions.
* Historically a place to observe Illinois’ diversity, the state fairgrounds this year became a showcase of divisive politics: A couple miles away at the fairgrounds sat the Mobile Museum of Tolerance, sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Midwest Region. Contained in a bus, the museum offers background and learning experiences about the expanse of civil and human rights amid a culture of growing bullying and intolerance. It gears its efforts to Illinois middle and high school students, government officials and business groups. Bailey’s visit to the Awake Illinois event gave the mobile museum added traction after the revelation of a 2017 Facebook video from the GOP candidate in which he said the Nazis’ attempted extermination of Jews in the World War II Holocaust paled in comparison to lives lost from abortion. Bailey later said no apology was needed because unnamed Jewish leaders “have told me that I’m right.”
* Gun Sense Rally in Lake Zurich: The time is ripe for reform, advocates say: “Increasing numbers of not just Democrats, but independents and moderate Republicans, want to see common sense gun reform. And that’s exactly what they’re going to get,” said U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg. … Krishnamoorthi called for a ban on the sale of what he described as assault weapons and raising the minimum age to purchase of any firearm from 18 to “much higher than 18 years old.”
* A Madison County official has split the GOP. Is he St. Louis’ Trump?: Prenzler’s critics point out that, since he was elected, the county has gone through at least 10 department heads, not counting interim hires. At least four employees appointed by Prenzler ended up suing the county, leading to $2.2 million in settlements and fees so far, with more lawsuits pending. Relationships with fellow Republicans got so bad that a bipartisan group of board members voted last month to remove most of Prenzler’s power to hire and fire people.
In Illinois, meanwhile, there are two competitive judicial races this year after the state redrew its district boundaries for the seven-member Supreme Court. While Democrats have held a four-seat majority for nearly two decades, the state Supreme Court could flip with the new map in place this year, Faleschini said.
The Illinois Supreme Court has recognized the right to an abortion under the state constitution, but a change in its makeup could lead to a court fight that abortion rights advocates fear could jeopardize access. Such a step, Faleschini said, would not only have ramifications for Illinois patients, but also those in neighboring states who turn to Illinois for abortion services due to limits where they live.
“Illinois has an outsized role in the Midwest of continuing to keep abortion access somewhat accessible for the Midwest,” he said.
If primary voting is any indication, Democrats face an uphill battle. The two districts encompass 12 Illinois counties, only two of which pulled a majority of Democratic ballots in the state’s June 28 primary.
“The Illinois Supreme Court districts are trending Republican now,” said political consultant Frank Calabrese. “Republicans can win both Supreme Court elections given that 53 percent of the total votes for Supreme Court candidates during the June primary were for the Republican candidates.” That’s even though the two districts were redrawn in the most recent remap process to favor Democrats. […]
Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke, a Republican running for a 10-year term in the 3rd District (after his current 2nd District was redrawn) faces Democratic Appellate Court Judge Mary O’Brien.
Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who opposes abortion, faces Democratic Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Rochford. Republicans would need to win both races to shift the court right. Democrats need to win one of the races to keep their 4-3 majority.
Judicial elections don’t often grab the same national attention as other political races in which voter turnout is often much higher, but observers say the Supreme Court races in Illinois could foreshadow similar battles in other states over reproductive rights with sweeping consequences.
“If we lose this election, there is absolutely no guarantee that abortion will be legal past 2023,” said Terry Cosgrove, president and CEO of Personal PAC, an abortion rights advocacy group. […]
Still, Illinois anti-abortion groups are keen on electing judges they view as sympathetic.
Justice Michael Burke, a Republican representing the state Supreme Court’s second district who is running for a 10-year term in the third district after district maps were redrawn, as well as former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who declared victory Friday over three other GOP candidates vying to be the justice in the second district, were “found qualified” by Illinois Right to Life Action in its latest voter guide. None of their Democratic rivals made the group’s cut.
* After the Dobbs decision, interest in the Illinois Supreme Court race “skyrocketed.” Via the Washington Post…
Democratic Appellate Judge Mary Kay O’Brien had been working for a year to drum up interest in her campaign for Illinois Supreme Court, struggling to convince voters that it would affect them as a presidential or gubernatorial race would.
But “within 24 hours” of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end federal protections for abortions, levels of interest in judicial races like hers skyrocketed, said O’Brien, a Democratic appellate judge.
“There’s no question that it energized and mobilized, especially young people and women,” she said. “It’s something that I think was just a complete alarm bell to some people.” […]
In Illinois, a group of progressive political operatives launched an organization last month dedicated to increasing awareness of the state Supreme Court race, according to co-founder Terry Cosgrove.
The two days of partisan political events during the Illinois State Fair are like miniature, stripped-down, informal versions of national political conventions. They serve as a sort of kickoff to our fall campaign season, so they are usually closely watched by reporters who cover campaigns and by insiders.
The speeches and organized theater are usually allowed to dominate coverage. Last week, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey was driven to the Republican Day event on a large John Deere tractor, a tailor-made image for TV and print reporters alike. He then capably delivered his well-written speech, which mainly attempted to paint the incumbent Democratic governor as an out-of-touch billionaire with soft hands who lives in a bubble and has no clue what average folks are going through.
The “hands” image was at the core of Bailey’s speech. “With our hands, and our sweat, we nurture life, we strengthen our families, and we feed the world,” he said. “Take a look at your hands. They’re probably like mine, a little swollen, a little calloused, got scars on ‘em,” he said before relating the life of a farmer.
“Companies are leaving, families are leaving. Some people are just throwing their hands up and giving up,” he said later in his address. “But I mentioned your hands earlier. Look at them again. You and I are hands-on people. We fix problems all day long. Now, we’ve got to turn our attention to fixing this great state,” he continued.
And then he contrasted “our” hands with the wealthy governor’s. “On Tuesday, I milked a cow,” Bailey said, which, of course, involves his hands. “Last week with J.B. Pritzker, he took a picture with the butter cow. Now don’t get me wrong. The butter cow is amazing. … But J.B. and his soft billionaire hands was safely on the other side of that protective glass, far from the work. Kind of like in his billionaire bubble. I say he doesn’t care. But I want to tell you something. Maybe he just doesn’t know.”
The hands metaphor was also used as a means of political action: “You can’t clear a field of weeds if you don’t pull them out by the roots, friends, and the only way to fix Illinois is to fire J.B. Pritzker and get the problem out by the roots.”
Clever.
But images and speeches rarely make an impact with news media coverage alone. A candidate needs money to put those images and zingers in TV ads and to amplify them throughout the online world.
And Bailey still has no money to do that. His principal backer, billionaire Richard Uihlein, came in relatively late but big during the primary. So, maybe he’ll eventually do that again. Bailey has not yet shown any ability to raise substantial money on his own, either before the primary or since. Bailey’s only reported contribution last week was just $1,000.
Since the primary, Uihlein has contributed $20 million to Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC. Proft, a talk-radio host and political activist, aired some super-solid TV ads on Bailey’s behalf during the primary, so at first, I didn’t think it was a huge deal. Instead, Proft has reverted back to running the type of ads that didn’t win many elections when he was involving himself in legislative races (mainly with Uihlein’s money). His past few ads, costing $1.8 million at the time of this writing, simply feature unknown people who appear to be talking to an unseen interviewer just off-camera.
None of Proft’s independent expenditure ads mention Bailey by name. Pritzker isn’t even featured. If, as I suspect, Uihlein ultimately wants Proft to take the helm of Bailey’s campaign, then Proft isn’t auditioning well. Bailey’s own Uihlein-funded primary ads were infinitely superior to what’s on TV now. The GOP ticket situation is currently in near-disaster mode, with Bailey under siege, but it’s gonna be the apocalypse if somebody doesn’t do something soon.
Individual candidate speeches usually matter far less after the state fair fades to black. And Bailey showed last week that he is not quite capable of taking reporters’ questions.
Asked about his specific plan to address gun violence, for instance, Bailey said, “it would be nice if we would start obeying and following the laws that we have.”
Bailey’s speech and his Q&A were filled with divisive, unsubtle code words about hard-working people being victimized by their leaders who must now rise up as one and smite their abuser.
But it’s still much more effective than the stuff Uihlein is paying good money for right now.
* Republican attorney general nominee Tom DeVore on Darren Bailey’s regular use of the term “hellhole” to describe Chicago…
Reducing crime and public corruption was a key takeaway from our conversations and many of our candidates messages. Sadly this messaging was overshadowed by the medias desire to write provocative news about the city of Chicago being once more called a hellhole. That narrative consumed the airwaves of all the good things talked about during Republican Day. […]
Such a generic off the cuff comment does little to add to the conversation of how to improve life in the city and is for all intents and purposes a slight towards its millions of residents.
My campaign understands and appreciates the value the city of Chicago and its residents bring to our state. What happens in Chicago ripples across our state. The people of Chicago love their city just as other residents in other cities across our state. None of them want their city being ridiculed. Once I’m elected Attorney General, I’ll work tirelessly to rid the city of Chicago of the crime and corruption that’s causing her harm. We can and will restore the city to the beacon it once was. Until that time comes, and while Chicago might be suffering a little under the weight of its incompetent leadership, she’s far from a hellhole.
