A shortage of election judges and a polling place lighted by candles were among the minor mishaps Tuesday on an election day expected to draw a turnout just a notch above the 1996 primary’s 35 percent.
In Chicago, it became apparent early on that there would not be enough election judges, said Tom Leach, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections.
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The board’s noontime projection placed turnout at 36 percent. But even so, 13,500 election judges were needed, and the city was about 1,000 short. Officials called in reserve judges to fill the gaps.
Election board chairman Langdon Neal did an impromptu stint at his own polling place in the 13th Precinct, 32nd Ward, when he showed up to vote around 6:20 a.m. and discovered only one judge on duty, Leach said.
Candidates also made their presence known. State Sen. Bruce Farley, running against Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s daughter, Lisa, in the 17th State Senate District, passed out Fannie May chocolates to all three election judges in the early afternoon at an Uptown polling place. He assured the judges that the candies were low-fat.
Helen Zielenski, 87, who uses a walker, got a ride Tuesday to her 47th Ward polling place from a staff member of Lisa Madigan’s campaign.
Voting, Zielenski said, “is a privilege that shouldn’t be missed.” She said she has voted in every election since she turned 21.
But in Evanston, Peter Schaefer, 23, said he does not plan to until there is a female presidential candidate on a major ticket.
In the village of Oak Park, turnout appeared heavier than usual. Sandra Sokol, village clerk, attributed the interest to a non-binding referendum on a village ordinance, already in effect, that permits gay and lesbian couples to register as domestic partners.
A couple of precincts in south suburb communities of Robbins and Blue Island suffered power outages, but election officials lighted candles and moved the voting to another room, Leach said.
Statewide primary contests include races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, comptroller and U.S. Senate.