Musings on Election Day

Today's political races in the city aren't the only hot tickets in town; it is a scorcher out there. Currently in my neighborhood it is 90 degrees with a heat index of 98, according to the Weather Channel's Weather.com. The website is currently forecasting a high of 93 with a heat index ("it feels like") of 104 degrees.


Anecdotally, the voter turnout seems to be higher than usual. I credit not only the Presidential race, which is not on today's ballot but is creating greater political awareness among the masses, but also the state-wide races.


Margaret Donnelly, candidate for state Attorney General, stopped by my polling place in the 25th ward. She said that her staff had targeted polling places in areas with contested races, like the 5th district state Senate race. I told her that she might want to also visit my ward's other polling place (we only have 2 for the 4 precincts) since there is a contested state Representative race in that area. I was wearing a Jeff Harris for Attorney General lapel sticker at the time, so I'm not sure if she took my advice or not.


As for the 5th district race, I was alone handing out literature for a candidate in that race. My ward and I endorsed state Representative Rodney Hubbard for that state Senate seat. Hubbard's opponent, state Representative Robin Wright-Jones, had an out-of-town union organizer at the polls for about an hour before he left. His replacement, an Illinois resident, dropped by for a few minutes and then left, herself. So much for ardent supporters.


Before my mid-day replacement came, I was able to snap this photo of a very new method of voter turnout. Now, I've seen yard signs in front of abandoned buildings and boarded-up store fronts, but never in front of port-a-potties.



Or, maybe this is a suggestion of where a vote for that campaign is going.


Well, I'm back to the polls in a few hours to finish out the day before my very busy night of victory celebrating begins, starting-off with National Night Out at Cleveland High School. Come join us, if you can make it.