Tuesday is election day

However, you can still early vote if you're still concerned about the pandemic. Or if you choose a Main-In ballot you can drop it off at an early voting location. Concerned Citizens of Chatham has all the city's early voting locations & there are drop off places at city libraries also.

I shared a listing of early voting locations earlier this month where I list locations in Wards 6, 9, and 21. And as far as local libraries listing in Worlee Glover's posting I will share some nearby ones you can drop off your mail in ballot. It doesn't include that new Whitney Young Library Branch, unfortunately.

• Greater Grand Crossing Library, 1000 E. 73rd St
  Sun., Closed; Mon. & Wed., Noon-7; Tue. & Thu., 10-5; Fri. & Sat., 10-5
• Thurgood Marshall Library, 7506 S. Racine Ave
  Sun., Closed; Mon. & Wed., Noon-7; Tue. & Thu., 10-5; Fri. & Sat., 10-5
• Mount Greenwood Library, 11010 S. Kedzie Ave
  Sun., Closed; Mon. & Wed., 10-5; Tue. & Thu., Noon-7; Fri. & Sat., 10-5
• Sherman Park Library, 5440 S. Racine Ave
  Sun., Closed; Mon. & Wed., Noon-7; Tue. & Thu., 10-5; Fri. & Sat., 10-5
• Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St
  Mon. - Thu., 9-8; Fri. & Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
• West Pullman Library, 830 W. 119th St
  Sun., 1-5; Mon & Wed., Noon-7; Tue. & Thu., 10-5; Fri. & Sat., 10-5

Why did I place Woodson library in bold. It's a very convenient location by public transit or even by car. Not to say the others listed are less convenient as your circumstances may be different.

Just bear in mind polls are open on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, 2020.

Early voting starts tomorrow

 We will have a different election than we had in our history so far. This is due to the ongoing pandemic as the rage for now is to vote by mail instead of voting in person or even waiting until Election Day and going to your local precinct which is what I plan to do.

On Oct. 14, 2020 - tomorrow on Wednesday - early voting around the city will begin. You can register and cast your ballot at designated locations within all 50 wards and at the Loop Super Site located at 191 N. Clark St. or at Clark/Lake.

Here are the locations for wards 6, 9 & 21

• Ward 6 - Deneen Elementary School, 7257 S State St. 
• Ward 9 - Curtis Elementary School,  32 E 115th St.
• Ward 21 - Turner - Drew Language Acad.,  9300 S Princeton Ave.

These are the operating hours for early voting until Election Day Nov. 3, 2020 for all sites throughout the city and at the Loop Super Site

• Early Voting sites in all 50 Wards - plus the Loop Super Site
  Monday-Friday - 8:30 am-7 pm
  Saturday-Sunday - 9 am-5 pm
  Election Day, Nov. 3 - 6 am-7 pm

Here's a notice from Ward09.com - Ald. Anthony Beale's constituent webpage about the early voting at Curtis Elementary on 115th Street

If you want more information check out the Chicago Board of Elections page on Early Voting.

Primary election is still on

This isn't exactly breaking news, however, since Sunday and through yesterday afternoon it appears to be Gov. J.B. Pritzker's intention to allow today's primary election to continue going forward.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state officials said Monday that despite restaurants, bars and other businesses being ordered closed, the Illinois Primary will be held as planned.

“We have to have our elections continue, in my opinion. This is the right thing to do,” Pritzker said at a Springfield news conference. “Our democracy needs to go on. If we cancel these elections, when would you have an election?”

So today's polls will be open as normal.

Be safe out there and as far as taking care of yourself to avoid an infection it seems there are a good number of common sense approaches to this which includes washing yours hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, social distancing, etc. So I hope when you go to the polls tomorrow you will do what is necessary to protect yourself.

As the governor states our democracy must go on....

BTW, I want to also add this statement posted to CapFax from the Illinois state board of elections. They further state that the primary election today will go forward.

2016 elections: Where do we go from here?

The video above is from the fb page of Morehouse College. This was shot at the bell in front of the Sale Hall annex the day after the elections. If you've seen a 20 year old PBS documentary The Morehouse Men, this bell is what a Morehouse Man should answer whenever it rings.

As we see this is one response to Trump's election. It's enough that Dr. John S. Wilson, President of Morehouse College, had to speak on this as you see here. He discussing the fact that of the 600K or so Blacks that reside in Georgia not enough go to the polls.

He's basically responding or has his response to this year's election which saw Donald Trump become the President-elect of the United States. This outcome that many are baffled by has resulted in protests around the nation especially in downtown Chicago.

Does anyone here have any thoughts to offer as far at the recent 2016 elections?

Tomorrow is election day...

Right now I'm recognizing that when many of us go to the polls on Tuesday we're voting in what I see as a polarizing election. In this part of the city many of us will vote for the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a minority will vote Trump and another minority still will vote for either a Green Party candidate or a Libertarian Party candidate.

Unfortunately we have something resembling a horse race election with the Presidential race and it's important to note because it's at the top of the ballot. A lot of people will turn out because of who's running at the top of the ballot. Question about tomorrow is whether or not either major party candidate can engender significant turnout.

BTW, often on this blog we want to encourage people to go out and vote. We are non-partisan so it's not very important at least for me to say vote Republican or Democrat. For me I very much hope that you don't just vote according to your respective party, just for the right person for the job.

Either way one thing this blog has often hoped to do is provide you with the information to allow you to go to the ballot box to make the right choice. More likely we do that in time for the aldermanic races more than we do for a gubernatorial race or presidential race. Which doesn't make those races and down ballot races less important.

Either way thanks for those of you who have voted early and we encourage you to go out tomorrow and vote. You may be free to just sit home and not cast a ballot and that does serve the purpose of sending a message. At the same time going out to vote also sends a far stronger message.

Whoever wins the Presidency let's remember while a lot can happen during a four year term, it's still a four year term. In 2020, we get to do it all over again. That's true on the state level and at the city level although in different years.

Either way again we encourage you to vote on Tuesday. As always for those of you who follow this blog thanks for reading.

Announcements

The 9th Ward Community Meeting is to be held tomorrow night at 7:30 6:30 PM at 550 E. 103rd Street at the Pullman Presbyterian Church. If you want more information you can call the 9th Ward Alderman's office at 773.785.1100.

In addition if you live in Roseland Heights their neighborhood meeting is also being held tomorrow night at 5:30 PM at the Temple of Glory located at 311 E. 95th Street.

Finally early voting for the 2016 elections has started. If you reside in the 6th Ward early voting is at Whitney Young Library 7901 S. King Drive. If you reside in the 9th Ward early voting is at Palmer Park Fieldhouse 201 E. 111th Street. Early voting lasts through November 7th, 2016 the day before Election Day.

If you want to know about other early voting places around the city visit chicagoelections.com

A flyer for Ald. Beale's 9th Ward community meeting is below.

9th ward democratic party sample ballot

If you live in Chicago's 9th ward you may have recieved this in your mailboxes. This is a palm card that you can take into the voting booths next Tuesday. So for 9th ward residents the Cook County Democratic Party isn't picking a horse for US Senate, President, or 1st congressional district.

Have you voted yet?

Early voting continues at sites around the city until November 3rd. If you wish to early vote please refer to this page at the Chicago Board of Elections. You can also early vote at Board of Election HQ located at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor

Also if you haven't registered to vote you may still register until November 3rd however you must vote during that same visit. Visit this page for more details, however grace period registration and voting will take place at Board of Election HQ located at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor.

Finally, I recognize that for many of you it's a sore point but it appears that the new ward map is the guide for the coming Presidential elections. If you're unsure of where your polling place is, then click on this page enter in the appropriate information and you will know the address of your polling place. It may be in a different ward although the remap is only being utilized for the 2012 elections.

If you don't plan to early vote Election Day is Nov. 6th and all polls will be open from 6AM to 7PM.

Presidential Debate Viewing Party

First 2012 Presidential Debate

See the first presidential debate of the 2012 election on the BIG SCREEN, Wednesday, October 3, 8:00PM - 9:30PM CST. Watch the debate and party with fellow supporters at ICE Theaters from 7:00PM until 10:00PM.

 It’s sure to be a fun evening!

There’s no cost for admission!

Debate Watch Party @ ICE Chatham 14,
210 West 87th Street – Hosted by Chris Percy, Southsiders for Obama; and 21st, 19th, and 34th Wards

OPEN BLOG: 2012 Presidential race

In the infancy of this blog, I posted frequently about the developments of the 2008 Presidential Race. Alas not much coverage of the race as it pertains to the 6th Ward. Just more coverage derived more from national sources than local sources.

But that was an historical year as it turned out as in November that year, Americans elected our nations first Black President. How many of you in the audience was in Grant Park that night when he clinched the election for the White House?

I'm sure the elderly were excited as had been seen the day of the inauguration. How many of us could've imagined the day that a Black person would be elected President of the United States?

That election was very exciting because of its historical implications more than anything. The youth came out to support our current President and turnout certainly made the different in many of the battleground states that Obama won that year.

Now that he has been President for three years pluse, I'm curious how many of you out there view his performance so far. Would you vote for his re-election? If he won, what would you expect him to do in his second term? What would you expect him to do differently in his second term from his first term? Finally, are you still excited about the President the second time around?

Low turnout for Obama in Chicago's black wards

From Chi-Town Daily News:

Alderman Emma Mitts worked hard in the days before the presidential election to ensure that citizens in her West Side ward would take advantage of the opportunity to vote for the country's first black president.

She encouraged constituents to participate in early voting, and pushed a ride-sharing program to make sure transportation difficulties didn't keep people from casting their ballot.

Even so, turnout in her majority black ward was lower than the city average, and less than during the 2004 presidential election. Her ward is not unique.

Despite the popular perception that Sen. Barack Obama won the presidency on a tidal wave of enthusiasm in the African-American community, turnout in Chicago's majority black wards was lower than in other wards, according to a Daily News analysis of voting data.

In majority black wards, 72 percent of registered voters turned out. In other wards, 74 percent voted.

"I want to know who didn't go out and vote," she says. "That's going to be my mission if it takes me until the next election," she says.

Read the whole thing!

Black power, Chicago style

Clout Street talks about how blacks turned out heavily for President-elect Barack Obama. The 6th percentage was 99.27% of the vote. I saw the results over at the Board of Elections website. McCain didn't have a chance in any of the precincts. McCain never got more than 8 votes and in many precincts there were ZERO votes for him.

Obama's victory speech in case you missed it

Via PubDef!

Good evening!!!

I was out all day because I was involved in a project away from this blog. It was an interesting experience doing some exit polling.

I would have liked to have some of you report in from your respective precincts in the 6th Ward. People from others wards are more than welcome to chime in if they would like! It surely would have been worthwhile.

Instead I come in like Johnny-come-lately to check out Illinois news that I couldn't check out before I left my computer almost 6AM this morning. Anyway if any of you readers want to chime in please do. And I'm referring to those who have actually voted on Election Day!

What happened out there?

Fitzgerald's future tied to election results too

John Kass:

Despite the national media's childlike fantasy that Illinois is something like Camelot—where the knights rise to power without staining their shining armor—we're still neck deep in corruption and sleazy pay-to-play politics.

The Chicago Outfit, though wounded, still reaches out to friendly pols. The bipartisan Illinois Combine that runs things isn't finished, though a Republican boss was indicted last week. The Democratic half of the Combine, Chicago's Daley machine, is now poised to leverage the awesome power of the White House. And what the machine wants is control of the federal hammer in its backyard.

Readers keep asking me the same question: Will the next president keep Patrick Fitzgerald as the U.S. attorney in Chicago?

I really can't say. What are political promises worth from politicians with debts to pay?

But here's what I do know. There is no story more important to the people of Chicago and of Illinois than the future of Fitzgerald, who has systematically hunted down the corruption.

Read the whole thing? How many of you out there appreciate the work Patrick Fitzgerald is doing in the state and the city? How many of you want him gone?

City details plans for Obama downtown bash

Crain's:

If you don’t have tickets for Tuesday night’s Barack Obama party in Grant Park, think twice about coming downtown, because it’s going to be one big mess.

That was the message from city officials Friday as they outlined a series of security, transit and other steps they are taking in anticipation of a crowd that some believe could top one million in and near Hutchinson Field at the south end of the park.

The Chicago Transit Authority will be adding extra service election night. Not only will street parking be banned anywhere downtown south of the river but Michigan Avenue, Lake Shore Drive and other thoroughfares will be closed much of the evening.

Officials wouldn’t say exactly how many they will allow to congregate — only about 70,000 tickets have been issued for the Obama event itself — but made it clear there is a limit.

New kind of election and old-style politics

Carol Marin's Sun-Times column discussing not only the election with Barack Obama on the ballot but also Todd Stroger, Bill Cellini, and Ed Vrdolyak.

Obama & McCain different on issues affecting black Americans

From the Defender. There's no big surprise here is there?

Issues that disparately affect Black people such as affirmative action, voting rights for ex-felony offenders, voting rights for D.C. congressional representatives, racial profiling, police brutality, mandatory minimum sentences, and the death penalty are just a few of the issues that have barely - if ever – been publicly addressed by either candidate during the intense race.

“It was made clear at the time that the responses received would be reproduced and distributed to the NAACP members and communities so that we could make informed decisions when going to the polls,” says Hilary O. Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington Bureau. “The questionnaire contained… issues of crucial importance to the NAACP and the communities we serve.” The 39-page document, compiled by the historically non-partisan civil rights organization over the course of a year, allowed the candidates to give candid views in 200 words or less. For space and brevity, the NNPA News Service has excerpted quotes from the responses. The following are verbatim excerpts from the questionnaire:

• What specific actions will you take regarding equal opportunity programs?

MCCAIN: “The affirmative action remedies designed 40 years ago should be reexamined…Our efforts to promote equal opportunity should focus on those who are disadvantaged. In access to quality education, we should focus on poorly performing schools that are not effectively educating our students, not on the students’ race. In access to government contracting, government set-aside programs should focus on disadvantaged enterprises and employees, not their race, ethnicity, or gender.”

OBAMA: “I support affirmative action. When there is strong evidence of prolonged and systemic discrimination by organizations, affirmative action may be the only meaningful remedy available…We shouldn’t ignore that race continues to matter: To suggest that our racial attitudes play no part in the socioeconomic disparities that we often observe turns a blind eye to both our history and our experience – and relieves us of the responsibility to make things right.”

Read the whole thing for more quotes on different issues by both McCain & Obama.

Headed for Obama’s Election Night rally? Take a ticket

AP:

You'll need a ticket if you want to attend Barack Obama's outdoor Election Night event in Chicago.

The campaign sent an e-mail Tuesday inviting only supporters from Obama's home state of Illinois. To get tickets, people need to sign up at a Web link for a printable ticket that'll be e-mailed before the Nov. 4 event in Grant Park. Only one request per person is allowed. Each ticket admits two people.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, it appeared there already was a wait list for tickets.

Gates open at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 4 for the event, which will take place in a field at the south end of the lakefront park.

Is that place going to be packed on Election Night or what? Well CPR has more on that:

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he hopes more than a million people will come downtown on election night. Recently, a city official said the site of Barack Obama's election night rally would only hold 70,000.

Chicago officials have been quiet about how they'll handle an overflow of Obama supporters. But, Mayor Daley says he's confident people who attend the open-air rally will be safe and secure. He says the U.S. Secret Service will bear the chief responsibility for monitoring public safety.

DALEY: We don't screen anybody in the park. No, no. That is up to the Secret Service in regards to their venue.

A spokeswoman with the city's emergency management office says there will be a tight security bubble at Grant Park. Jennifer Martinez says the office will follow the lead of the Secret Service, FBI, and Chicago police.

Presidential Poll

Just under the e-mail address is a presidential polls I set up courtesy of Newsvine. Who does the 6th Ward support for President or indeed anyone who reads this blog. Make your choice known. Thanks!