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* How’s it look out there? Details, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:39 am
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No lines at 7:00 a.m. in OFallon precinct 6.
Comment by otownie Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:42 am
I was the ninth voter at my polling place (Mitchell/Johnson district) around 7:15 a.m. Terrible turnout at that point but it looked like more folks were showing up when I was leaving. Preckwinkle had folks outside (for Mitchell) but I didn’t see anyone else.
Comment by Mookie B Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:46 am
No one working it at the Route 59 train station (the busiest station outside the city) this morning when I caught the 5:58….
Better turn out than expected at the local pct so far.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:46 am
Where are all the victory parties being held tonight? Any in Springfield?
Comment by spflddemocrat Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:48 am
Quiet, very quiet. But the weather is nice.
Comment by Kyle Hillman Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:48 am
Was the 3rd voter in my precinct in the 42nd ward around 6:30 or 6:45 this morning.
Despite my being in the contested 5th senate district, the only folks outside passing out lit at that hour was a sister of a candidate in one of judicial subcircuits and somebody supporting Tom Smithburg for Republican committeeman.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:50 am
I am still trying to decide who to vote for. I recieved a total of ten robo calls from yesterday afternoon till bedtime last night.If I go for who called the most Rick is the winner. If I go for who had the longest message it would be the Mitt. I think I will go for who made the most sense and write myself in!!
Comment by Nieva Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:52 am
Warmest primary ever. Kelly Cassidy signs everywhere. Well organized.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:53 am
I was the 4th voter at 7:10 in west Bucktown. Really low for that time.
Comment by ChicagoR Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:55 am
Quiet all around my friends in the QCA tell me that turnout is really low for this point in the day and here in Springfield its also really low.
Comment by Publius Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:57 am
Also even breakdown by party which matches the pct in general. New leg seat is contested on the Dem side along with the congressional…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:58 am
I was the first at 6:00. The only problem was that an election judge forgot to unlock the ballot card reader so it kept rejecting my ballot. Not a big deal, but entertaining.
Comment by South of I-80 Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:58 am
Mitchell people out in 42. No sign of Reilly people for Johnson anywhere.
Comment by RajaDanceParty Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 7:59 am
I have never worn a short sleeve shirt to a primary election in Illinois, except back in 1968 when it was in June.
Can’t help but think that turnout could be increased because of the weather. This usually favors non-ideological candidates.
Comment by Cassiopeia Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:00 am
Has anyone seen any presidential yard signs? I’ve been out and about in DuPage County and haven’t seen a single one. (I’m sure Romney’s 21-1 television ad blitz will be very effective, but it isn’t very satisfying.)
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:00 am
132 voters so far at 7:30 at a west side Springpatch polling place. Short line-took less than 5 minutes to vote.
Comment by Sine Die Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:03 am
I was the only one in a 3 precinct voting spot in Springfield.
Comment by gathersno Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:04 am
MrM — a couple of Paul signs out in Kane/DuPage that is about it.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:06 am
Evanston Ward 3 Precinct 5 opened on time, but the judges wanted bagels, not donuts.
Comment by Alex Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:14 am
I was the 9th voter in precinct 99 in Springfield at 6:10.
Comment by anonymice Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:15 am
Very slow in Wicker Park - with two polling places on this block, nearly as many people passing lit as have voted until now
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:15 am
Where is the Rutherford machine of democratic politician’s relatives?
Comment by RajaDanceParty Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:18 am
It’s very quiet in Lakeview. A lot of people don’t know there is a primary (despite all the ads and signs).
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:18 am
We were told that candidate yard signs are comepletely illegal at all polling places, even if they are well beyond 1,000 feet of the polling place. As you know, this is NOT the case (1st amendment, state statute, yadda yadda).
The bad thing is the person who said that was the Rock Island County Clerk, I think. At least they are applying that rule uniformly, even if it doesn’t jive with the law.
Comment by Rocky Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:19 am
Rocky, I think the venue owner has some additional rights if they are a church…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:23 am
In the deep South (Murphysboro) full house at 7:45am in my local precinct that votes at a baptist church. The election worker that gave me my ballot accidentally gave me two ballots. Plummer yard signs everywhere as you pull close to the polling place.
Comment by John A Logan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:25 am
Rocky, I called the Rock Island County Clerks office and they said that signs are fine as long as they at the distance set by law. They had numerous complaints about them being on the property of the polling place or on the adjacent property but very close to the entrance.
Comment by Publius Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:27 am
I live in an Urbana precinct that went 86% for Obama and I’ve never voted in a Republican primary and I got three robocalls for Romney. (I voted early a couple of weeks ago.)
Comment by The old professor Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:28 am
I meant 100 feet. Autocorrect strikes again
Comment by Rocky Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:29 am
I also think as a private land owner do you have the right to yank them if you are not the polling place and they are on your property…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:29 am
I was the 41st in my polling place. Interesting though…was told twice by the judge to cover my ballot because it’s “legally required”. Um, am I missing something? I understand the Australian ballot concept…but that’s to protect my right to vote in secret. Someone please tell me where this law is found that requires me to cover my ballot.
Comment by Wonderboy Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:30 am
Thanks Publius and OneMan. It was a public (county?) building and not a church. The churches have been easier to deal with. All the signs in the world won’t matter if people don’t come out to vote.
Comment by Rocky Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:32 am
17th Voter in a Kendall County precinct. Real slow …
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:35 am
Ron Paul signs all over Pulaski and Johnson counties.
Comment by Way Way Down Here Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:36 am
Interestingly enough not a single candidate or volunteer was at the Highland Park Metra station at 7am. Makes you wonder exactly how many volunteers the IL-10 campaigns have if they can’t cover a vote rich train station like Highland Park?
Comment by J Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:37 am
I was the 7th at my precinct in the 41st ward polling place about 7:00-ish this morning. Two judicial candidates (A. Pucinski and J. McGing) were also there.
Comment by Baltimoron Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:39 am
My husband was the 13th voter at a 3-precinct polling place in Springfield at a little before 7.
Comment by Yossarian Lives Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:42 am
Low voter turnout in Sangamon County.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:43 am
steady turnout in avon township, lake county. gop signs everywhere only a few dem signs, mostly at the polling places. all “R” ballots being requested when i was there at 7:30.
Comment by colt45 Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:45 am
A lady freaking out in Niles Twnsp when the paper ballot machine was having problems and she was told to use a touch screen, then proceeded to try and take over the machine that I was using, then yelled at the poll workers at 6:55 in the morning. Calm down folks.
Also, can we get a new sample ballot? Not sure how Bobby Jenks and Carlos Zambrano are really going to help folks pretend to vote.
Comment by Bakersfield Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 8:54 am
First time voting in the 30th ward, polling place is a Chicago Dept. of Aging. Waited in a line with several seniors for a bit, was surprised at the turnout. Was informed after several minutes that the line was for some kind of breakfast program and I could go on in for voting…Thanks to the nice guy that recognized I probably wasn’t there for a seniors’ breakfast. Only saw 2 other voters, but to be fair I was running kind of late.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:00 am
Quiet on the west side of Orland. Didn’t have to run the usual gauntlet of leaflet passers outside.
Bakersfield: Perhaps that lady took too much of a lesson from having Zambrano on that sample ballot?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:15 am
You could have shot a cannon off in a west side polling place in Springfield. No one in there and seemed very slow.
Comment by Aikaterine Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:15 am
First time I’ve seen zero passers in the 47th Ward at the polling places by my chateau. Where’d e’re body go?
Comment by P. Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:18 am
First at my polling place with a paper ballot. No poll workers outside. I am at another polling place working and turnout is EXTREMELY low.
I remember a couple of years ago when the weather was blamed for poor turnout. We do not have that excuse this time.
I must say it is nice to be out in this weather.
Comment by Richard Afflis Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:18 am
I was #24 at Carterville 2 at about 7:30 this morning. I would expect more Republicans than Dems will turn out today. With U.S. Rep. Costello retiring, the GOP smells at least the hint of a chance. Plus, the Prez race. Deep South will probably go for Santorum, though he didn’t even come close to filing the Herrin High School Gym over the weekend.
Comment by Deep South Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:19 am
I should say “voters in the Deep South” not me, “Deep South,” the CapFax poster.
Comment by Deep South Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:20 am
Is it just me or did the daily fax get cutoff? Top of the fax indicates today’s includes story about Mitchell but I don’t see that…
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:28 am
Republican burbs seem light in turnout so far. No Dems in sight. One election judge commented — “Oh I forgot we have Democrat primary too.”
Comment by mark walker Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:34 am
Two other voters in my one precinct polling place in liberal Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with no competition for state rep/state senator/congress and I was voter #25 at 8:00 AM.
I’ve always wondered how they recruit so many
republican judges in democratic territory and today, after I handed my democratic ballot to a republican judge, the “republican” judge leans over to me and whispers “thanks for voting democratic”
Comment by Robert Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:36 am
Empty. Wow.
And the volunteers *still* aren’t trained to use the electronic booths. Sure glad Unisys got millions to install those everywhere… With nobody using them. :/
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:40 am
I was the 26th voter around 8:00 in my corner of NW DuPage which is about normal. Seeing just as many Pankau signs as Ramey signs despite this being his home base.
Comment by Bluefish Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 9:44 am
Hey Small Town Liberal, I will be in the 30th Ward once the remapped lines take effect. Afraid they wouldn’t pick me out of the free breakfast line however.
Comment by justbabs Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:00 am
Lots of “Vote NO for Republican Tom Swiss” signs along the sidewalk leading to my polling place in the 43rd Ward. When I came out I asked three big guys hanging out why the signs since he wasn’t on the ballot. One of them, who was holding an open umbrella, said “Not on the ballot, then my work here is done!” There are two precincts in the polling place and he was on the ballot in the other one. Wonder what “work” umbrella man was doing?
Comment by And I Approved This Message Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:04 am
Turnout looks very low up here in 14. Ronen operation is out in full force. Basta operation seems non-existant.
Comment by Lakewood-Balmoral Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:10 am
I never noticed that there was a lack of Presidential signs in our neighborhood. There were plenty of signs for the contested Democratic 17th district and 46th state senate. There was no line in our voting place. We split the ticket at our house but we only got robo calls for Santorum not Rommeny.
Comment by frayedcat Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:11 am
West suburbs are gonna be crazy today.
I was there on Sunday.
Dillard-Nybo is gonna be a slugfest.
I bet the real fun is in MJM’s district.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:15 am
I was #26 at 8:30 a.m. at Nettlehorst School in the 44th ward. There were a couple people handing out flyers for judges, and I saw several yard signs for Metropolitan Water District candidates and a Ron Paul sign down the block.
One thing that was distracting was an election judge talking (really loudly) about Obama and his policies. Are they allowed to talk politics inside the polling place?
Comment by Jabes Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:16 am
In my region of Southeast Lake County voting for commuters seemed steady, but slow. The seniors and stay at homes come out now and well see if anything changes.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:19 am
“Lots of “Vote NO for Republican Tom Swiss” signs along the sidewalk leading to my polling place in the 43rd Ward. When I came out I asked three big guys hanging out why the signs since he wasn’t on the ballot. One of them, who was holding an open umbrella, said “Not on the ballot, then my work here is done!” There are two precincts in the polling place and he was on the ballot in the other one. Wonder what “work” umbrella man was doing?”
Meh, probably a low-information voter. ZING!
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:23 am
One-to-one signage between Weber and Evans in the 108th. At 8:30 I was #37, which is an average turnout for this precinct.
Comment by JN Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:25 am
No presidential signs besides Ron Paul. Gingrich and Santorum did not have a full listing of delegates to choose from in 13th.
Comment by Homer J. Simpson Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:26 am
Very slow today. I was voter #49 at 10:10 a.m. at a station serving two heavily Democratic precincts in Urbana.
Comment by urbana democrat Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:35 am
OK, I’m gonna close out this thread. Thanks for all the reports. Go here for a fresh one… https://capitolfax.com/2012/03/20/report-65-illinois-counties-have-ballot-problems/
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:37 am
Low turnout across the board. Surprising amount of Republicans in the Wicker Park area.
Comment by Winchester Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:42 am
Was the 100th voter at Oak Park 3 at Longfellow Center at 10 a.m.
That’s not bad, and might reflect the Lilly/Nardello state rep. race (she’s local) and another local, former school board member and OP cop Jacques Conway, on the ballot against Danny Davis, for some reason.
Not a GOP presidential sign anywhere, which is kind of surprising since Ron Paul had a pretty dedicated crew in the area the last time around.
Harmon’s Oak Park Dem organization has signs all over the parkway for him, Lilly and the endorsed judges at both Longfellow Center and another precinct at Longfellow School (Longfellow is a rock star in my neighborhood; we dig that “Paul Revere’s Ride” and “Song of Hiawatha”).
Some of the signs have migrated on to school and park district property, as well.
I pulled a GOP ballot, which could have been printed on a matchbook cover. Aren’t there any Irish surnamed lawyers who would at least like to get on the judicial ballot in November as the GOP nominee, just in case lightning strikes?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:44 am
I was number 51 I voted for Santrum anybody but Romney boy what a joke
Comment by quincy Tuesday, Mar 20, 12 @ 10:48 am