via Chicago Breaking NewsThe crowded race to replace Ald. Helen Schiller in the 46th Ward drew a steady stream of voters in some precincts but failed to generate much interest in others.
In the 38th precinct in Uptown, about 100 people had voted by noon. But just after noon, seven people showed up at once, the biggest surge poll workers had seen all day.
Election judge Connie Wade said she normally likes to be the 300th voter to cast a ballot, but today she decided to settle on 200th because of the low turn-out. “I’m going to wait and see what happens at 5:30. If we’re not close, I’ll change it again,” she said.
David Stein, 53, was among the lunchtime voters who showed up in a subsidized residential building in Uptown. For him, the aldermanic race was more important than the mayoral race.
===Election judge Connie Wade said she normally likes to be the 300th voter to cast a ballot===
ReplyDeleteI was poll-watching the precinct as the Tribune reporter was there. I burst out laughing when I heard her say this. Some sort of weird ritual. Being the 300th person in your precinct to vote on election day.
===Stein said he voted for Marc Kaplan for alderman===
As for the Kaplin vote. The only other poll-watcher besides Molly's guy, was Kaplin's guy. Kaplin's guy told me he had the building wrapped up for Kaplin. Judging from the few that entered and greeted him, I'm not betting otherwise.
I'm hoping that this is a reflection of the popularity of early voting, and not that a good number of people in the ward are happy to have their voice in the community ignored.
ReplyDeleteDoes Kaplan really have a shot?
ReplyDeleteMarc Kaplan doesn't have a shot in hell unless something is seriously rigged.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh - He was reported to have said he would like to take TIF money (I believe it was TIF money) and buy up the empty condos in the area and have them turned into affordable housing units.
Marc - if you win, I'd be the first to sell you my unit at fair market value.
meg,
ReplyDeleteif turn-out is low, everyone has a shot.
If the thought of having Kaplan take up Shiller's mantle of ward division and curious political tactics isn't enough to motivate fence-sitters to the polls, then we may very well be doomed.
Note: while I'll not say for whom I voted, I have witnessed Kaplan's curious anger management and lackluster people skills, first hand. As such, the thought of voting for him, or even someone like him, never crossed my mind.
Oh ... Miss Kitty, should that awful event happen, steel yourself for a fight for that first position.
Kaplan ain't gonna be in the top two.
ReplyDeleteHe may get a relatively few votes out of a handful of buildings, but that will be about it.
One of these people have a reasonable shot at making the runoff in the silver medal category.
Michael Carroll
Don Nowotny
Molly Phelan
Befekadu Retta
Emily Stewart
Cappleman will take the top spot and then it's on to April.
If I'm wrong on either of those predictions I will not post anything here until April 1st. Which is my day after all.
Coney is hoping I'm wrong!
I dunno, IP. I mean, if our dear comrade has fellers flashing "Gang Signs for Kaplan" ..., I'm thinkin' all bets are off.
ReplyDeleteStill .. that's a rather mixed bag of an offer you're making re: April 1st.
Is it possible that Cappleman can take the whole kit and kaboodle today with the low turnout?
ReplyDeleteBetter yet, if that happens will IP still have to shut his trap until April 1?
And how will he proposition hookers with a shut trap? Sign language? I shutter to think of the gestures he'll be making in public.
There were wayward youth, bangers, handing out literature for Shiller four years ago. I walked around a good hunk of the ward at the time with a video camera.
ReplyDeleteThat ain't nuttin new.
Let me clarify the April 1st comment.
If either Cappleman ain't first OR one of those five isn't second on the ballot I will disappear for five glorious weeks.
I won't even appear under my other identities Sassy Irish Lass, Caring Irish Neighbor, or Irish Ken doll On Kenmore.
So, IP .. we'd need a Kaplan/Shapiro showdown to get you heeled until the thaw, eh?
ReplyDeleteThat kind of run-off, my dear friends and neighbors, might give validity to those Mayan predictions.
Did I see "Schiller" again in the story! :)
ReplyDeleteI expected a crowd at Stockton at the prime time of 5:45 tonight, but I was only one of 3 voting.
When I voted, I wasn't even asked for an ID - they were just thrilled I was there!
ReplyDeletePlus, I brought my dog (she didn't vote).
Since I only vote for hot chicks, it was kind of slim pickings.
I guess no one looks at the facts anymore. If the writers did, they would see that inspite of the Census stating that Uptown has lost 11% of it's population over the past decade, there 2535 more votes cast in this aldermanic election than the 2007 election. A clear statement that the citizens of this ward want to be heard !
ReplyDeleteWhat apathy ? according to the census, Uptown lost 11% of it's population since 2000 yet in this election, there were 13809 total votes cast for alderman, 2535 more than 2007. While the Phalen and Cappleman camps are taking shots at each other, combine their vote and it is just slightly more than Capp's numbers in 07.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to play with hypotheticals, add the MP,JK, MC, DS and half of the DN vote together and you get close to 8000 plus votes for major change in the ward.
The people have spoken and for the first time in 20 plus years, democracy has taken a major step forward in this ward.
Da Coach