Posted on 03/19/2002 12:58:45 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Turnout was light at midday with about 25 percent of registered voters in the Chicago area casting votes in primary elections marked by few problems at polling places. Congressional redistricting seemed to cause the greatest turmoil.
McHenry County Clerk Kathy Schultz called the 25 percent turnout there “a little below normal.” It was 30 percent two years ago. “Absentees were way down,” she said.
Turnout was running 25 percent to 27 percent in DuPage County, said Pat Bond, election board legal counsel. About 85 percent of the voters were Republican, he said.
Will County Clerk Jan Gould was predicting a 25 percent turnout there. Voting was heavier in areas with referendum proposals on the ballot.
In Lake County, Clerk Willard Helander said, “We’re hoping for 35 percent,” but added, “No one has called about a huge turnout.” Normal is 20 perecent to 31 percent, she said.
Precincts split between two congressional districts by redistricting “are a big problem right now,” said Arlene Rubin, executive director of Project LEAP, Legal Elections in All Precincts.
“Judges are not giving out the right ballot or directing voters to the right booth,” she said. “I’ve gotten seven complaints in the last half-hour.”
Voters also complained to the office of U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) that their registration cards said they were in the 5th District when they actually were in the 7th District.
In DuPage County, more than 100 voters complained they didn’t notice the ballot was two-sided until too late, Bond said. Of about 1,000 calls, 75 percent were about electioneering within 100 feet of polling places, he said.
The State Board of Elections was hearing from voters about use of a new tabulating machine. If they inserted a ballot with an undervote—failure to vote in a contested race—the machine noted the omission. The callers were unaware that the machines don’t also say what office was not voted for.
I was the only one in the place, but the ballot counter said I was voter 101. That's pretty usual turnout in my precinct.
L
The GOP is fired up. This is bad news for the dims in November!
I voted today in Central Illinois at noon and it was a ghost town.
Vote O'Malley and Cox.
Call me an amateur pundit, but this really really really bodes ill for the 'rats. Their voter fraud machine is really going to have to work overtime if the turnout in subsequent elections is 85 percent Republican and 15 percent 'rat. :) I love it.
Damn Georgians!;^)
Don't know its illegal to vote a Democrat Ballot in DuPage county. It's the home turf of RINO JRyan.
I may be wrong, but I think a low turnout is going to help O'Malley. O'Malley voters are fervent and WILL show up to vote. JRyans's voters are not all that enthusiastic.
Ditto for Patrick O'Malley! What do you know about Cox?
You may be right. I hope so. I know Ryan had a good sized lead coming into last weekend, but the polling is certainly not among likely voters. O'Malley is the kind of guy that can get us Broken Glass types out in numbers.
Dittos!
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