* Tribune…
Most Illinois voters said they think the coronavirus pandemic is not at all under control in this country, according to a survey of voters conducted by The Associated Press. In addition, the majority of Illinois respondents said they disapproved of how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic.
The pandemic has killed 9,878 Illinoisans and more than 230,000 people across the country. The AP VoteCast survey found Illinoisans were slightly more likely than the national average to believe the pandemic was not under control.
* AP…
AP VoteCast found that 31% of Illinois voters said the U.S. is on the right track and 69% of voters said it is headed in the wrong direction. […]
Overall, 14% of [Illinois] voters said the virus in the U.S. is completely or mostly under control, and 26% said it’s somewhat under control. Sixty percent of voters think the coronavirus is not at all under control in this country. […]
The coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for many voters in Illinois. Forty-six percent said it is the most important issue facing the country today.
Voters also considered the economy a major issue, with 24% saying it ranked at the top.
Also, 64 percent disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the virus, with 57 percent strongly disapproving.
*** UPDATE *** More from the Tribune on the AP poll…
The survey found 60% of Illinois voters approve of Pritzker’s handling of the pandemic, compared with 36% for Trump.
The poll also found that 63 percent believed the federal government should limit the virus’ spread even if it damages the economy. Just 37 percent said the federal government should limit damage to the economy, even if it increases the spread of the virus.
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*** LIVE *** Declared winners
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Keep in mind that most election authorities will report mail-in and early vote ballots first, then move on to precinct results. But some authorities, like suburban Cook, have a backlog of mailed ballots that may not be counted until very late tonight or even in the coming days. Also, I’m told there were a ton of provisional votes today, partly because people requested mail-in ballots and then didn’t fill them out and then voted on election day without bringing those ballots with them. Oops. That could take a while to deal with.
Anyway, here we go…
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* How’s it looking out there?…
* DuPage…
11-3-2020 3:30 PM
68% Voter Turnout
95,102 Voters Today
449,040 Voters Total (RECORD)
190,688 Early Voters*
163,251 Verified Mail Voters
654,394 Registered Voters
* Live coverage links…
* Sun-Times
* Tribune
* NBC 5
* CBS 2
* SJ-R
* The Southern Illinoisan
* BND
* QC Times
Heading out to vote. Talk to you later.
…Adding… Wait. I thought they closed early last night to prevent this from happening?…
Due to polling place changes/late openings, the Clerk’s office has received a court order to permit 17 suburban Cook County precincts to extend voting by one hour - to 8:00pm.
For other up-to-date election information, suburban voters should visit cookcountyclerk.com
Tinley Park Village Hall, 16250 Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park (Bremen Precinct 59)
City Of Markham 16313 Kedzie Parkway, Markham (Bremen Precinct 21)
Lincoln Elementary School, 811 Chicago Avenue, Maywood (Proviso, Precinct 1)
Lincoln Elementary School, 811 Chicago Avenue, Maywood (Proviso, Precinct 2)
Ernest Kolb School, 9620 Normandy Ave, Oak Lawn (Worth, Precinct 21)
Alsip Heritage 1 Apartments, 11949 S. Ridgeway, Alsip (Worth, Precinct 97)
School District 157 Board Room, 1255 Superior Ave, Calumet City (Thornton, Precinct 38)
Roosevelt School, 111 W. 146th Street, Dolton (Thornton, Precinct 4)
Lincoln School 14100 Honore, Dixmoor (Thornton Precinct 30)
Jesse White Learning Academy 16910 Western Ave. Hazelcrest (Thornton Precinct 59)
Maya Angelou Elementary School 1548 Page Ave. Harvey (Thornton Precinct 102)
Holmes Elementary School 1600 Carse Ave. Harvey (Thornton Precinct 109)
School District 157 Board Room, 1255 Superior Ave, Calumet City (Thornton, Precinct 38)
Roosevelt School, 111 W. 146th Street, Dolton (Thornton, Precinct 4)
Central Township Medical Center, 4949 South Long Avenue, Chicago (Stickney, Precinct 10)
All Saints Lutheran Church, 13350 Lagrange Rd. Orland Park (Palos, Precinct 11)
Navajo Heights School 12401 S. Oak Park Ave., Palos Heights (Worth Precinct 7)
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said today that he will defy the governor’s order and allow his city’s restaurants and bars to stay open with 25 percent indoor capacity. State mitigations forbid indoor dining and drinking because the IDPH region has surpassed an 8 percent positivity rate.
This same 25 percent strategy failed miserably in the Metro East when it was tried earlier this year, by the way. The mayor and county board chairman said they’ll be trying this policy out for a couple of weeks and then will reassess. It the county’s positivity rate is above 12 percent at that time, then the city and Sangamon County will drop its “phased approach.” Sangamon County’s average positivity rate is currently 9.8 percent.
The mayor brought law enforcement and politicians with him to the announcement today, but nobody with a medical degree attended. He said he would demand more mask-wearing and will mandate that house parties immediately end. Langfelder also claimed that Pritzker’s mitigations won’t work and wouldn’t pass the city council.
* WMAY…
Under the new plan, establishments will be limited to 25 percent capacity and must close no later than 11pm. In addition, customers who want indoor service will be required to fill out a questionnaire about their exposure to the virus. Establishments will have to keep those questionnaires and turn them over to the county on request.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the mayor’s announcement today…
The fact is that local officials who are not doing the right thing are the ones who are going to be responsible for the rates of infection going through the roof and our hospitals getting overrun and people dying if they don’t enforce the rules.
That is why those rules exist. And we didn’t make them up. Doctors all over the world have put forward studies and it’s very easy for you to find those, I’ve provided them to every official who has asked for them and frankly to every media outlet. We know that the places that are remaining open, they’re having large gatherings and defying these rules are, in fact, spreading locations. These are places that are amplifying the virus across the state and so you know when you’ve got double-digit positivity rates in your area, as is the case in Springfield, then the local officials need to take the laws that are on the books and the regulations that we’ve put forward and the orders that we’ve asked people to follow and enforce them locally.
Yikes.
The General Assembly’s veto session is scheduled to begin in Springfield two weeks from today. State law allows the governor to convene the GA outside Springfield “in case of pestilence or public danger.”
* The Question: Considering today’s decision by local officials, should the General Assembly cancel, postpone or move the veto session away from Springfield, or should it proceed as scheduled? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
online surveys
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About tonight
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Scott Kennedy of Illinois Election Data and I spoke the other day about what we are going to do about election night. Scott has been supplying live results to us for years, but he said because of all the early and mail vote, he didn’t think it would be useful. I agreed.
I’ll have links to live election results so you can follow all the action and I’ll have a post that declares winners whenever possible.
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Election day oddities and ends
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sigh…
This afternoon at a polling place in Wheaton, Sean Casten doubled down on his total disdain for anyone who disagrees with him.
In a conversation with voters, Casten states, “If I win by less than ten, that says that 45% of the district is racist homophobes.” Listen to the audio here.
Ives campaign spokeswoman, Kathleen Murphy: “Sean Casten doesn’t care to understand your disagreements with him. He just thinks you are a low-life if you don’t think like he does.
“This isn’t how we come back together. It isn’t who the Sixth District is. But it is who Sean Casten is. And we are confident that voters are rejecting his toxic, divisive candidacy as we speak.”
* Imagine being so committed to opposing face coverings that you pay for election-day robocalls…
[Hat tip: This guy]
* BND…
In Bond County, voters are considering a referendum about whether downstate Illinois should kick Chicago out of Illinois to form its own, 51st state.
The referendum, which is non-binding, is appearing on the ballot due to the grassroots efforts of local citizens who collected about 600 signatures on a petition.
* I’ve been getting press releases from this PR firm for months, but this is the first time I thought about posting one of them…
Hi - Cities across America are boarding up and bracing for civil unrest and/or celebrations tonight. People are expected to spill out into the streets regardless of the outcome of the Presidential election. A popular celebration tactic of years past (most notably for the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl in 2018) is for people to climb street poles.
To deter people from doing so and ensure their safety, ImLive, an adult company, is offering to deploy 220 gallons of lube to New York City and Los Angeles. The lube can be used to grease up dry street poles, thus making it nearly impossible for people to scale them.
Check out a SFW image here - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/esqgc8onar2v6le/AABgyE0cOngOiobFGxyIMfiha?dl=0
I’ve also included a quote from ImLive’s VP of Business Adrian Stoneman –
“We wanted to extend a helping hand and ensure people’s safety while they took to the streets tonight and want to make sure no one is climbing street poles and inevitably getting hurt. To thwart any attempts at scaling these erect structures, we would love to deploy our vats of lube to New York City and Los Angeles so that they can lube their dry poles. We have (4) 55 gallon drums of lube read to go. We hope these cities take us up on our generous offer,” said Adrian Stoneman, Vice President of Business, ImLive.
To be clear, we are offering (4) 55 gallon barrels = 220 gallons of lube in total.
As usual, fly-over country is excluded from the largesse.
* Sigh…
* Musical interlude…
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 6,516 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 68 additional deaths.
Adams County: 1 female 90s
Clay County: 1 female 90s
Clinton County: 1 female 90s
Coles County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Cook County: 2 males 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 90s
Effingham County: 1 male 70s
Franklin County: 1 male 80s
Grundy County: 1 male 70s
Kane County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Knox County: 1 male 80s
Lake County: 1 female 80s
LaSalle County: 1 female 100+
Lee County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
Macon County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 females 90s
Madison County: 3 males 70s, 1 male 90s
Marshall County: 1 female 80s
Mason County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
Mercer County: 1 male 80s
Peoria County: 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Shelby County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s
Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
Tazewell County: 1 female 90s
Warren County: 1 female 60s
Whiteside County: 1 female 90s
Will County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 100+
Williamson County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 female 100+
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 430,018 cases, including 9,878 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 82,435 specimens for a total 7,958,856. As of last night, 3,594 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 755 patients were in the ICU and 326 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 27 – November 2 is 8.2%. This is the number that IDPH has been consistently reporting in its daily releases and is calculated using total cases over total tests. Similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH has been using test positivity for regional mitigation metrics on its website since mid-July. Test positivity is calculated using the number of COVID-19 positive tests over total tests. On October 29, 2020, IDPH began reporting the statewide test positivity in its daily releases. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from October 27, 2020 – November 2, 2020 is 9.9%.
Case positivity and test positivity rate are both relevant and offer insight into the bigger COVID-19 picture. Case positivity helps us understand whether changes in the number of confirmed cases is due to more testing or due to more infections. Whereas, test positivity accounts for repeated testing and helps us understand how the virus is spreading in the population over time.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
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* Your observations so far today? Any hijinks?
* Statewide…
The Illinois State Board of Elections has updated its early voting totals, according to Illinois Election Data.
About 2.3 million votes by mail were requested and about 1.8 million have been returned, leaving 521,045 that are outstanding for a return rate of 78 percent.
Nearly 3.8 million voted early all together in Illinois.
* Chicago…
Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen said 29,500 ballots were cast in the first hour of voting Tuesday. As of just before 11 a.m., 916,423 ballots had been cast either in-person or by mail.
Though some polling locations did report delayed openings, Allen said none will require precincts to remain open late.
While several issues remain under investigation from the board, Allen did provide some details on a few reported incidents in the. city.
Several voters reported that sharpies were bleeding through ballots, but Allen said one bleed-through on the front will not hit a target on the back. He acknowledged the need for some scanners to be replaced and the occasional equipment issue to be fixed.
…Adding… I’m hearing now from an attorney involved in this that the Sharpie pens are actually spoiling some ballots. Heckuva job, Chicago Board of Elections.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Some are half-jokingly calling this “Sharpiegate.” It’s not a problem everywhere, but it is causing issues in some areas when the markings bleed through to the back. Making matters worse is that, as always, every judge is handling things differently, and that’s creating confusion.
*** UPDATE 2 *** This is easier said than done…
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Suburban Cook…
According to officials, 87,000 voters have cast a ballot today in suburban Cook County. Already, 430,000 mail-in ballots have returned in suburban Cook County.
* DuPage County as of noon…
11-3-2020 NOON
65% Voter Turnout
70,509 Voters Today
424,398 Voters Total
190,688 Early Voters*
163,201 Verified Mail Voters
652,895 Registered Voters
Early Voting Location Voters
2008 – 96,369
2012 – 78,561
2016 – 108,902
2018 – 89,665
2020 – 190,688* (9-24-2020 – 11-2-2020)
*In previous elections, early voting location voter statistics did not include “in-person absentee”.
Vote by Mail Applicants
2016 – 32,126
2018 – 42,338
2020 – 212,816
Historic General Election Voter Turnout
2016 Turnout – 70.6% Ballots Cast – 434,050 Registered Voters – 614,752
2012 Turnout – 71.4% Ballots Cast – 400,601 Registered Voters – 560,718
2008 Turnout – 76.3% Ballots Cast – 420,397 Registered Voters – 551,280
2004 Turnout – 76.1% Ballots Cast – 404,117 Registered Voters – 530,732
2000 Turnout – 76.5% Ballots Cast – 369,300 Registered Voters – 482,789
Some good stuff in those links, so check ‘em out.
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Could it be… Satan?
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Review…
Congressman Sean Casten appeared to think flashing “666″ (the Biblical number referring to the Anti-Christ) Tuesday along with some folks in a parking lot outside a polling place.
Maybe self-proclaimed atheists like Casten think that’s funny?
Um, I dunno, maybe it’s because Casten represents the 6th Congressional District?…
[Headline explained here.]
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* Rather than simply repeating the local mayor’s incendiary words, the SJ-R is finally starting to talk to medical professionals…
Springfield and Sangamon County officials told bar and restaurant owners to operate as they had been through the weekend. Officials are set to announce Tuesday how they plan to implement Pritzker’s mitigation order.
But local health officials are sounding the alarm. Dr. Raj Govindaiah, chief medical officer for Memorial Health System, said that the virus is “spreading so rapidly right now” that mitigations will help, but it would likely be at least two to three weeks before rates start trending down under the best circumstances.
“The surge is in our community right now,” Govindaiah said. “And instead of asking me what I’m doing, I’m going to ask the community, what is it doing? Because I can only do so much. I cannot create enough hospital beds for everyone in central Illinois if they all get sick at the same time.”
Govindaiah said Memorial currently has the highest number of COVID-19 patients it has had at any point during the pandemic, approaching 100 patients. Last month, it was 60. The month before, 30. […]
Govindaiah said mitigation measures imposed by Pritzker would be effective if people followed them, noting that the highest risk exposures occur when people are eating and drinking in close proximity for prolonged periods of time.
* The message might be getting through…
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said he’s been in constant communication with Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, Springfield Police, and the Sangamon County Department of Public Health for guidance on enforcement so they can all be on the same page.
Campbell said he wants to do what safe for community, but also remain fair to business owners.
“We have the ability to warn people if they’re not socially distancing or they don’t have their mask on,” Campbell said. “We have the ability to cite them if there is a clear violation. So, we will continue to use that type of discretion when it comes to enforcement.”
Langfelder’s office released a statement, stating a joint press briefing will take place on Tuesday afternoon at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
Springfield is a massive regional medical center. The mayor has often said he wants to attract more health care-related businesses. That’s a great idea. But COVID denialism ain’t the way to do it.
* Winnebago County’s public health officials are spitting into the wind right now. The county’s positivity rate is 14.9 percent, but too many area leaders seem wholly unconcerned…
One of the most intense election cycles in recent memory will come to a head Tuesday night, and few things would feel better than to celebrate political success — or mourn a defeat — with family and friends.
Don’t do it.
That’s the advice from Winnebago County Health Department Administrator Sandra Martell and Mayor Tom McNamara. […]
Once such event was planned for Monday night at Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, which announced on its Facebook page that it would host state Rep. John Cabello’s election eve rally, along with Sheriff Gary Caruana, Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury and state Sen. Dave Syverson. Fozzy’s offered free food to the first 100 people in the door. […]
Contacted Monday, Cabello expressed little concern about the transmission of COVID-19.
Fozzy’s Bar & Grill was issued its “4th Order of Closure” on October 28th. And yet it’s still open and defiant because the local authorities won’t cooperate with public health officials. Also, that wasn’t just free food, it was a free buffet. A buffet. In a pandemic. Nothing to see here. Move along.
* East Peoria’s mayor gets some blowback…
The Tazewell County Health Department and East Peoria officials are at odds over Gov. JB Pritzker’s order for tighter COVID-19 restrictions in Region 2, which includes the Tri-County Area.
Shortly after the governor issued the order on Sunday, East Peoria Mayor John Kahl said in a Facebook post that the city will not be enforcing those orders. On Monday, the Tazewell County Health Department posted a scathing reply, via its own Facebook page.
“While we appreciate an elected official can do as he/she sees fit for their community, no official, including Mayor Kahl, has had a recent conversation with TCHD or been given permission to speak for the health department on this developing issue. … Denying that COVID-19 is real, disregarding the mitigations and ignoring strong public health guidance for safety only makes COVID worsen in our community and does nothing to get us back to normal or slow infection in our community,” the post read.
* Peoria’s mayor urged caution…
On Monday, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said he had fielded a slew of emails suggesting he also thumb his nose at Pritzker.
“Some of those emails said I should tell the governor to go and pound salt,” Ardis said. “And those were the nice ones.”
But Ardis said he not only did not have the legal standing to shrug off the order, but he also did not want to prod any Peoria businesses into putting themselves at risk.
“No mayor in the state has the authority to override the governor’s executive order unless the court decides otherwise,” he said. “We shouldn’t give businesses a false sense of security that the state won’t come in and enforce the governor’s (executive order) and potentially revoke their liquor and gaming licenses.”
* Park Ridge is cracking down…
Park Ridge restaurants that defy the governor’s indoor dining ban and continue to serve customers inside are being fined daily, a city official said.
Between Thursday and Sunday, the city issued three restaurants a total of $1,750 in fines for continued non-compliance with the governor’s order, said Jim Brown, director of community preservation and development.
The restaurants were fined $250 for the first violation and $500 for subsequent violations, Brown said.
Daily fines of $500 “will continue as long as they remain open,” the director said, adding that the city is also exploring other options, such reporting the establishments to the county and state health departments or recommending a suspension of their liquor licenses.
“No one is happy about enforcing this,” Mayor Marty Maloney said during a virtual meeting of the Park Ridge City Council Monday. “We’re all in this situation, playing the hand we’re dealt.”
* Meanwhile…
Also raising concerns is Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch, who in a Facebook post said he’s “adamant that our bars and restaurants cannot withstand another lengthy shutdown and I will do everything in my power to see that they survive.”
He said there have been discussions with the police chief and the city “will not take any action against a business that chooses to remain open unless there is a judicial order.”
“I will not revoke or suspend the liquor license for any establishment that chooses to remain open and serve alcohol,” he said.
If people just worked the program, there would be no need for a lengthy cessation of indoor service. The resisters are making it worse for everyone else.
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Mid-morning election day precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Seeing anything interesting? Hearing about any problems? Let us know. Bored and looking for something to do? Go take a ride and look around and report back. Also, how’s the weather by you? Absolutely gorgeous here in Springfield.
…Adding… From the DuPage County Clerk as of 9:30 this morning…
DuPage County General Election
11-3-2020 9:30 AM
61% Voter Turnout
43,791 Voters Today
397,649 Voters Total
190,689 Early Voters*
163,169 Verified Mail Voters
651,879 Registered Voters
Early Voting Location Voters
2008 – 96,369
2012 – 78,561
2016 – 108,902
2018 – 89,665
2020 – 190,689* (9-24-2020 – 11-2-2020)
*In previous elections, early voting location voter statistics did not include “in-person absentee”.
Vote by Mail Applicants
2016 – 32,126
2018 – 42,338
2020 – 212,816
Historic General Election Voter Turnout
2016 Turnout – 70.6% Ballots Cast – 434,050 Registered Voters – 614,752
2012 Turnout – 71.4% Ballots Cast – 400,601 Registered Voters – 560,718
2008 Turnout – 76.3% Ballots Cast – 420,397 Registered Voters – 551,280
2004 Turnout – 76.1% Ballots Cast – 404,117 Registered Voters – 530,732
2000 Turnout – 76.5% Ballots Cast – 369,300 Registered Voters – 482,789
…Adding… Here are links to live coverage updates from Illinois media outlets. If you know of others, mention them in comments and I’ll add links as we go along…
* Sun-Times
* Tribune
* NBC 5
* CBS 2
* SJ-R
* The Southern Illinoisan
* BND
* QC Times
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Do better
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If a Republican county clerk in, say, Georgia, did this, we’d likely see it in the national news…
Poll workers at some Cook County sites sent voters who were still in line about 7 p.m. home, an election official said.
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s election offices turned away voters who were still in line at 7 p.m. on Monday, the clerk’s spokeswoman Sally Daly said. […]
“The Cook County Election Judge Manual itself states that anyone in line when early voting ends for the day has the right to cast their ballot and must be allowed to vote,” Ami Gandhi, the senior counsel for the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, said in a statement. ” But tonight, voters came out the cold and waited for hours to cast their ballots, only to be turned away without explanation. That needless barrier undoubtedly disenfranchised Cook County voters.”
* Long lines in the southern states are deemed to be vote suppression. Here? Just part of life…
Polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. Long lines? Don’t fret: If you’re in line at 7 p.m., you are entitled to vote.
My point is not that the southern states don’t have very real voter suppression issues, of course. They most certainly do. My point is that election officials (and many in the media) up here cheerily point to long lines while marveling about all the wonderful enthusiasm and the hardiness of our people, when most of those long lines, delays and abrupt closures could and should be prevented. For example…
If Fulton County can do it, so can we.
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An election day unlike any other
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* NBC 5…
With the election nearing, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned voters of “misinformation” that could be posted to social media, urging state residents to consult reputable sources for information in the days ahead.
The governor warned residents from getting their information on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter in the coming days, and to instead consult local election authorities and reputable news outlets for the latest updates on election results. […]
As those votes are counted, Pritzker urged voters to be patient and to be skeptical of claims made on social media, suggesting that voters could potentially stay off of those platforms in the coming days.
“Look at a variety of news outlets if you’d like, but be wary of claims you see on social media,” he said. “So check before you repost anything, or better yet, you may want to take the next few days off from social media. Facebook and Twitter will still be there in the morning.”
* Also…
Observers say foreign enemies may seek to agitate an already divided electorate. Because many people have voted by mail, presidential election results aren’t expected to be completely totalled Tuesday night.
Pritzker said hostile agents posing as Americans could produce false information they hope will be shared over social-media platforms.
“They would like nothing more than to promote conspiracy theories and sow discontent,” the governor said Monday, as he gave his daily coronavirus briefing.
* In other news…
Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that National Guard troops staging at McCormick Place on Monday would be on standby if needed.
”Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made sure that our National Guard is simply in a state of readiness,” Pritzker said.
“We want to make sure that the cities, counties that call upon us for help from the state of Illinois that we have those resources available to them … we simply have them at a state of readiness in case they are asked to help.”
The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Monday said in a tweet: “The City has not made any calls to deploy the National Guard in Chicago. Similar to past emergency preparedness plans, the State has stationed personnel at McCormick Place to be ready to respond if needed, however, there are currently no plans for them to be deployed.”
And the National Guard on Monday also tweeted: “Obviously, people can see Illinois National Guard trucks and troops moving. This is to be ready to respond if needed, but we have not been given any missions. We, along with most other Illinoisans and Americans, hope we are not needed.”
* And…
As Election Day nears, Illinois State Police has been taking steps to ensure public safety during and after the election.
Director Brendan Kelly said along with the state Department of Homeland Security and the Illinois National Guard, ISP has been planning for months plans to safeguard the election and keep Illinois communities safe during the aftermath.
“The Illinois State Police will support state, local and federal partners as needed with threats to public officials, bomb threats, suspicious packages and other serious criminal investigations that could be related to elections,” Kelly said.
Kelly said state police have been taking part in readiness exercises with state and local partners. Terrorism intelligence is monitoring possible issues.
“Since its inception, the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, or STIC, has supported elected officials with information sharing and analysis of security events,” Kelly said. “In collaboration with our federal partners, STIC serves as a hub for sharing election-related matters.”
Kelly said state police will have high-visibility patrols during the election period to help local law enforcement with any issues at polling places. He said the state agency will provide extra personnel if needed.
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* Gov. Pritzker was asked yet again yesterday whether he was considering another stay at home order…
We’re not currently looking at a stay at home order. I mean, obviously, that’s something that lurks in the background. You know, if we believe that these tiered mitigations ultimately are ineffective. If people choose not to wear masks and if the spread of the virus continues unabated, and that kind of community spread, we would obviously have to consider more significant mitigations.
Earlier, Pritzker spoke about the different levels of IDPH mitigation. Click here to see the three state tiers.
* Later, Amy Jacobson of WIND said that “a pretty reliable source told us that the plan is to move the whole state back to Phase 3 after the election.” She asked if that was true…
That’s not a plan. No. Obviously, that’s an option, I guess. But whatever you heard is not accurate. I have not had any discussions about that.
I’m so old I remember when the prevailing conspiracy theory was this would all somehow disappear after the election.
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* Yvette Shields at the Bond Buyer outlines the stakes if the “Fair Tax” fails at the ballot or if it passes…
Some market participants have warned that the state’s general obligation bond ratings — all at the lowest notch above speculative grade, with negative outlooks — will fall to junk if the amendment fails.
“It is hard to handicap the probability of Illinois getting downgraded before the end of the year since a lot will depend upon the approval of Illinois’s progressive tax ballot measure” as well as the outcome of the presidential race and the contest for control of the U.S. Senate contests, Vikram Rai, head of Citi’s municipal strategy group, wrote in a Municipal Weekly report in October.
“We expect the progressive tax ballot measure to be approved by voters, but if it doesn’t, we believe a downgrade is almost guaranteed,” Citi said. “If the progressive tax ballot measure passes but Republicans retain control of the White House and Senate, the outlook for downgrade is nebulous, essentially a toss-up.”
If the progressive ballot measure passes and Democrats take over the White House and the Senate, Illinois may be able to avoid a downgrade based on the expectation of more generous fiscal aid flowing from the federal government.
Citi estimates a 50 basis point widening in Illinois spreads after the first rating agency junks the state, with subsequent agency actions not having an impact.
Thoughts?
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Early morning election day precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* What are you seeing out there? You can also tell us what you’ve been seeing the past few days at early voting sites. Don’t forget to give us an idea where you are, when you were there, etc. Thanks.
* Related…
* Tip lines allow voters to report intimidation, extremism at the polls: “We’ve seen online organizing activities of extremists turn into real life violence,” said David Goldenberg, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Midwest region. “And that’s why all of us need to take this seriously.”
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