Posted on 02/02/2010 12:57:54 PM PST by Maelstorm
CHICAGO (CBS) ―Election officials say the crowds of voters just before 9 a.m. could be used as an indicator to determine voter turnout for the rest of the day. Going by that barometer Tuesday morning, turnout will be very light this primary.
As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, there have been no lines to vote at Old St. Mary's Catholic Church, at 1500 S. Michigan Ave. in the South Loop. The election judges say it's been quiet all morning. But those who did cast ballots came with a purpose and they were well-informed.
"I feel it's not only my right but my privilege in this country that we can make decisions about who runs our government," said voter Derrick Carpenter. "I did take some time to go through the web sites and see some of the candidates and what they were standing for."
"If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about who represents you and things like that," said voter Michelle Murphy.
But the Cook County Board of Elections says traditionally only about 25 to 30 percent of registered voters come out for a primary like this one and with the dismal weather, Tuesday's turnout will likely be even lower.
Some of the people we talked to who were not casting ballots said they have no time, no interest, or are not registered.
"I'm actually in school right now," said Crystal Partida. "I haven't had time to catch up on the candidates."
"I've just become a citizen so I haven't registered to vote," said Muhammed Ishaq. "Not this time. Maybe next time."
"It's not that I don't have an interest," said Kelley Fitzpatrick. "I didn't realize I wasn't registered and I didn't follow up on figuring out how to get registered."
The weather was also a factor in the turnout of election judges. The Cook County Board of Elections says some of their judges couldn't make it to their polling places on time Tuesday morning because of the snow.
Polls opened across the State of Illinois at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
ACORN...paging ACORN to the white courtesy phone...
Who’d take the time to vote in Illinois? The machine already selected the winner and has the votes counted and verified weeks before the election.
How the h*ll do you think they elected a clown like Obama?
The dead, like most Dem voters, don’t rise until the sun sets..................
Well, they got my vote around 2 pm. The wife votes on the way home this evening (for the same two...). When I arrived, there was only one lady in the booths. I told everyone it was time to wake up. By the time the lady was putting the sticker on me, there were 3 more people there to vote. Slow....
I hope they turn out and vote for the conservative against Kirk.
Exactly right, with the help of IL GOP Chairman Judy Barr Topinka, I might add.
Do they need to show a valid ID in Illinois? I'd think a certified death certificate would suffice, as long as it has the current address (site and plot number).
LOL!
I went over to the Hughes site and it looks like they have a lot of Tea Party support making calls. Kirk thinks he has this in the bag so I’m betting he is asleep at the wheel. I do know that Hughes has been improving his margin over the past week. The biggest challenge for him has been the media outside of talk radio. Fox and Friends even invite Mark Kirk alone to be on this morning. It is sickening. Fox I believe is playing a game with conservatives sometimes.
I hope they do too. Kirk’s support has been very weak even though his polls have been good it has never been solid. I think he will benefit from the excitement from Andrzejewski voters.
I voted around 10:00 this morning and it was steady traffic. I’m in a Republican leaning county and there are Andrezjewski(sp) signs all over the place.
Early returns: Illinois voters disgruntled
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/2024807,illinois-voting-voters-unhappy-020210.article
February 2, 2010
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Many voters heading to polling places in Chicago say they aren’t happy. And it’s not because of the foul weather.
A steady snow didn’t stop 62-year-old salesman John Rogers from voting downtown Tuesday. But the Democrat wasn’t happy with the candidates. He says he doesn’t trust anyone running and that it’s a matter of voting for lesser evils.
We only had a couple inches of snow. 30 miles North, in Rockford, they may have had more, but my wife didn’t mention it when I talked to her around noon. I doubt the snow will have any affect in this area.
So far, a collective yawn in primary voting
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/02/primary-concern-how-many-voters-will-see-their-shadows.html
National political pundits have been busy trying to divine broad meaning from Illinois’ Groundhog Day primary, but that noisy class of professional crystal ball gazers could be in for a challenge if an early collective yawn from voters continues through the day.
City election officials said turnout for the first hour of voting was extremely low. Jim Allen, communications director for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said there were precincts all over the city that experienced as few as two voters coming through their doors.
“That’s bad,” he said. “There are very few voters coming out to cast a ballot. This could mean six more weeks of campaigning if the voters just see their shadows.”
I hope you are correct but really, can you believe how little people in that state care? It’s no mystery why we are fighting the fight of our lives.
We don’t have very many signs at all that I’ve seen (Rochelle). And it’s a Republican district for sure.
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