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* Not allowed…
Hey Ken Dunkin, bus ride ok, lunch NO #MarchPrimary #buyingvotes pic.twitter.com/iBTbcMcbv3
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) February 29, 2016
Campaigns cannot legally offer inducements to vote.
* And from a reader…
Hi Mr. Miller,
I’ve been a fan of Cap fax for a while now. I don’t really post in the comments, but do enjoy reading the snark in the comments.
Though I think you might be interested in this.
I had a meeting in Chinatown today at 10am. So I decided I would go vote before the meeting. I arrived a little after the polling place opened at 9am. While I was waiting for the poll workers to finish assisting some elderly voters I saw people there handing out campaign lit for a candidate inside the polling place. It was literally being done right before people voted on the machines.
* The pics…
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:37 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Priorities, please
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Get on the bus or get thrown under it…
Comment by There is power in a union... Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:42 pm
As an Election Judge for the past 12 years, I can say unequivocally, this is illegal! No electioneering within 100′ of the polls - period. We’ve literally told people to leave the building with a button, or t-shirt on that comes close to electioneering…this just screams wrong. If I were there, I would offer two options, A. leave now, or B. call the police and have them arrested.
Pathetic.
Comment by Captain Illini Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:42 pm
The election judges have a responsibility to enforce the rules against electioneering inside the polling place. It appears in this case the judges chose to see no evil.
Comment by anon Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:44 pm
He should have told them what Cruz’s Iowa staff told Carson voters right before they voted.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Rahm needs to shut down this illegal activity inside the polling place.
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:46 pm
Where are the election judges? And any poll workers who have any experience know that this is illegal and should have contacted their election judge or an official.
Comment by Archiesmom Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:49 pm
I absolutely love the old school tricks.
Comment by Robert the 1st Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:50 pm
Dunkin is offering food and a free ‘city bus’ rides for votes? This is illegal.
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:51 pm
Maybe the election judge or an official can not see what is happening inside the entire polling place. Most people will not report it because they do not care or know it is not legal.
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:55 pm
Election judge to unemployed man: “sorry sir, but you can’t accept the bus ride and free lunch. The candidate cannot buy your vote.”
Unemployed man: “Yes he can.”
Just sad really, but not new.
Comment by Casual observer Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:55 pm
This is illegal and they make no attempts to conceal it.
Comment by The Dude Abides Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:59 pm
That’s pretty brazen. Wow.
Comment by illini97 Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:02 pm
Any official word from the BOE on this?
Comment by Harvest76 Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:03 pm
Turn.Them.In.
Report.It!!!
http://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionAuthorities/ElecAuthorityList.aspx
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:05 pm
Call Madigan (Lisa), she will dispatch an election attorney to the precinct upon a complaint.
Comment by truthteller Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:05 pm
I wish I understood why this kind of behavior is tolerated in some parts of the country, and career-ending in others.
It’s not that people in some zipcodes are more moral than others. I’m guessing it has to do with the history of political power in an area. I’d sure like to understand it.
Thoughts?
Comment by Any Mouse Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:07 pm
This is why campaigns send poll watchers on the day of the election. It’s a lot harder to monitor in early voting.
Comment by Archiesmom Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:12 pm
(10 ILCS 5/29-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 29-1)
Sec. 29-1. Vote buying.
Any person who knowingly gives, lends or promises to give or lend any money or other valuable consideration to any other person to influence such other person to vote or to register to vote or to influence such other person to vote for or against any candidate or public question to be voted upon at any election shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
(Source: P.A. 78-887.)
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:13 pm
If Theresa Mah were personally campaigning in a polling place, I’d be more upset. Ken Dunkin was personally endorsing the free lunches. Ethnic Chinese in Chinatown haven’t been politically active in a long time; mistakes are made when people are excited and passionate for the first time.
Comment by Moist von Lipwig Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:15 pm
This is the problem with early voting, it’s tough to secure poll watchers for the entire early voting period. I’m not too familiar with early voting in Chicago, but from this post it appears that actual polling stations are open as opposed to voting at the County Clerk’s office downstate.
Comment by Jon Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:17 pm
Last time it was Ald Leslie Hairston and her ==lottery==. This time it is free food.
And that is only the stuff politicians are careless enough to post on facebook and flyers. smh.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:21 pm
Wow! The Chicago way?
Comment by Levois Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:24 pm
There are no words…
Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:29 pm
Remember the line from the 1970’s movie Chinatown? “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
My favorite was from the days I judged in the Far North Side. The precinct captains would scour the senior centers and load them into vans for a trip to the pols. You could tell the tough primaries when many of the senior voters had oxygen bottles in tow and were well along in dementia. Of course, each had a typed list of their choices. Rumor had it that the post voting luncheon was delightful.
But handing out campaign lit inside the polling place with the voting machine in view? Wow.
Comment by Cook County Commoner Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:30 pm
I wonder how many other voting places have illegal polling? I’m willing to bet this is not the only place where it is happening.
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:39 pm
No one cares. Nothing will be done. The system is broken. The only thing missing are two men outside with bats threatening voters.
Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:56 pm
I am glad to see people finally acknowledging that this type of illegal electioneering still exists because someone photographed it.
It still goes on in Chicago, but if you raise the specter of vote fraud you are oftentimes scoffed at.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:00 pm
The Dunkin flyer looks real–and out of bounds.
The Mah pictures may be opposition work. The first picture isn’t the man in yellow. There’s nothing showing the man in yellow handing out fliers. Evidence is dubious at best and looks, most likely, like someone trying to smear.
Comment by Flying Illini Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:01 pm
What…wasn’t it just a few calendars ago when Chicago Machine busses would round up Madison Avenue “bums” to vote…the inducement at that time being a half-pint of blackberry brandy?
You do-gooders are ruining Everything!
(yes, Snark!)
Comment by Stumpy's bunker Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:04 pm
Ah, the old days. I remember when somebody passed out flyers at a CHA location or 2 saying all tenants had to stay in their apartments all day for inspections. It just happened to be Harold Washington’s Election Day.
A threat of an injunction caused the CHA to tell everyone it wasn’t true.
Comment by Keyrock Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:05 pm
Can somebody explain to me what a “punch number” is?
Comment by Jack Kemp Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:13 pm
As an election judge I’m never surprised. It can’t get too weird in Cook County.
Comment by Touré's Latte Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:16 pm
Isn’t this the “Chicago Way?”
God, I love the smell of sewage!
Comment by Tinkle Town Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:27 pm
What’s with the yellow?
If you’re going to electioneer at a polling place, shouldn’t you be a little circumspect?
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:32 pm
Jack - do a search for “butterfly ballot”. The punch number was a candidate’s position on the ballot when butterfly ballots were being used.
So if the billboard ad said punch 25 for a particular candidate, the voter could look for that number, push the stylus through the hole, through the ballot card and hopefully not have a hanging chad.
Comment by Huh? Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:41 pm
That flyer was today, did they do it? I was told by several south side residents that they saw Rauner’s campaign literally paying people, cash, to vote. So is it a surprise that Rauner’s guy doesn’t know any better?
Comment by burbanite Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:43 pm
Do all journalists give advice to candidates now?
Comment by Cheswick Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:52 pm
Come on this is Illinois and i include DuPage in Illinois. Just buy them a beer and be done with it. They never should have gotten rid of the straight ballot for the general. After all: No dancing in the election booth. If you don’t have enough money to buy an election you should not be running. God Bless America
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 7:11 pm
Have no fear…Lisa Madigan will be here!!!
Comment by Blue dog dem Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 8:31 pm
Dunkin is not the first to do this, and he will not be the last. I think others don’t put “re-elect” on the fliers, but just offer a “service” to their constituents.
Comment by Urban Girl Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 9:52 pm
On the West Side of Chicago, it was not uncommon for precinct captains to offer cartons of cigarettes to voters.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 5:31 am
But there’s no need to worry about election fraud in Illinois…
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 8:40 am
In the past, I’ve seen instances where someone complains to an election judge about illegal activities like this, and the complainer ends up being arrested.
Comment by Michael Westen Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 8:42 am
“The Dunkin flyer looks real–and out of bounds.
The Mah pictures may be opposition work. The first picture isn’t the man in yellow. There’s nothing showing the man in yellow handing out fliers. Evidence is dubious at best and looks, most likely, like someone trying to smear.”
Clearly the individual in the maroon jacket is the one passing out the flyers. I don’t think it is a smear campaign by the opposition at all. The Mah campaign got caught. It is what it is - illegal.
Comment by Clearly Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 8:47 am