IL Is a Lock For Obama...MAYBE NOT! Pass This On!

[Yes We Did]

I was just informed that in IL you cannot just vote a straight democratic ticket and have your vote cast for Obama, you MUST vote BOTH! And they will NOT be telling voters this on election day.

Yes, it's ass backwards, but if you want to vote for Obama and a straight dem ticket you MUST vote for EACH.

Many people assume that if you vote the straight dem ticket he's included, but for some reason in IL it is not. So, please pass this around... email it...

Please keep this kicked so we can make sure people are informed.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Kick for greater exposure!

:kick:

[JohnnyRingo]

2. Hopefully, the opposite is true

Shhhhhh
Keep it to ourselves.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Did you understand what the op is saying?

I think he is saying that if you vote straight Dem, you still haven't voted in the Presidential race. Or, that is what I'm understanding.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

7. I posted a link below with the ballot info for all of the states.

IL requires that you select each candidate individually. We don't have straight ticket voting.

[Yes We Did]

15. Was told by three friends today...

All got emails warning them of this... I'll talk to them again tomorrow and see what's up. If there is no straight ticket... then something smells funny.

[BumRushDaShow]

41. There's a false chain mail going around here in PA too

If we did what was listed in your OP, then we would negate the Obama vote. Here in Philly, we DO have straight-ticket voting with one button and if you DID push the Obama button AFTER hitting the straight ticket button, then you would effectively "uncheck" him and would not register a vote for him. Our machines display flashing lights when a vote hasn't been cast and steady lights when it has. The buttons next to each name toggle between a vote for or no vote at all. There is a big green "VOTE" button that finalizes the process when you are done.

Fortunately there is a chain mail going around here that describes exactly what you have to do for our machines.

Every locality is different but I bring this up because there's obviously a chain email going everywhere to confuse people in multiple states. Even Snopes has a record of the generic email and claims it is "true", but Snopes still hasn't made the distinction yet between how machines function in different localities. The email is NOT true for certain places.

[mopinko]

30. correct- there is no straight party voting in illinois.

so, can we drop this thread now, and worry about something real?

[JohnnyRingo]

13. And hopefully, when the Republicans vote a straight ticket...

They wont be voting for McCain either.

If we keep it to ourselves, we'll be voting for Obama as well, while the repubs will walk away thinking they did their duty for McCain...you betcha.

I was being sneakily facetious.

[whopis01]

45. I'm pretty sure he did understand -

and was saying that he hoped that if you voted straight Rep, you still haven't voted in the Presidential race as well.

[Endangered Specie]

3. This is not uncommon, its that way in NC...

and the ballot explicitly says that straight ticket doesnt cover the President.

Bit of an overreaction, IL did vote for Kerry just fine did it not?

[tledford]

20. And it has been that way as long as I can remember (first voted in 1976). eom

[emlev]

5. This is true in other states, too. Best not to vote "straight party ticket"

but choose each candidate you want to vote for individually.

That way, if the machine is ACTUALLY counting your votes, you will have cast the ones you wanted to cast.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Illinois doesn't have straight ticket voting

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/straight_ticket.htm

[Yes We Did]

12. Well... I don't know then.

Just reporting what I heard... Sorry for the false alarm. Remove the thread if you want.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. No worries! It's best to be safe than sorry.

:hi:

[Yellow Horse]

8. I believe this is also true in North Carolina. Straight Dem includes all candidates EXCEPT PRESIDENT

Be careful out there folks. CHECK THIS IN YOUR OWN STATE, learn how to do it correctly, and spread the word.

Straight Dem voting (where allowed) could help us, but only if done absolutely to the letter of the law in each state.

[TTUBatfan2008]

9. Ahem...

Obama will win IL by 30 points.

[TheDonkey]

16. Seriously, IL is safe.

but it is good to make sure people are knowledgeable about straight-ticket voting.

[bridgit]

10. whatever...

[Marrah_G]

24. ?

[bridgit]

44. .

[Undercurrent]

11. Washington State

no longer has straight party voting either. In fact only a handful of states do.

Personally I prefer it this way. There have been a couple of county races where I've voted R, because the D was a flat out, rotten crook, or a racist asshole. It happens.

[silverojo]

14. K&R

It's Florida 2000, all over again. :mad:

[FlyingSquirrel]

17. k/r (I'm not too worried about IL tho)

[MJJP21]

18. Who is "they"?

Who is "they" that are not telling voters about the proper way to vote? The newspapers can easily(and often do) get this info out to the public and it no doubt will be passed on even at the lowest levels of society. It's a stupid way to do things but easily overcome.

[WeDidIt]

19. Illinois doesn't do straight ticket voting

I vote a straight ticket every time. To do this, I fill in the bubble next to every Democratic Candidate's name.

[MJJP21]

23. Some don't

Some don't understand what straight voting is. Depending on your voting method(machine) there usually is method of hitting one lever or pushing one button and all candidates on that party line are voted for automatically. Apparently the only way in IL to vote straight democrat is to do it the way your are doing it and I would call that the manual way.

[phrigndumass]

28. I've lived and voted in IL for 20 years and have never been able to vote straight ticket

And I've lived in six different counties.

Is the ability to vote straight ticket something new this year in Illinois?

[JBear]

21. It is simple - don't vote a "straight party ticket"...

Simply take the few extra seconds and mark each race individually. I have been reading about some of the tallying errors uncovered so far and most of them involve ticking a straight party ticket box.

Above all VOTE!

:bounce:

[Marrah_G]

25. Always good to remind people of these little things. Every vote counts!

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mucifer]

27. I downloaded a sample ballot so I can research the candidates before early voting

I don't see anything on the ballot about voting straight dem or rep. You have to fill out each box for each vote.

[Danchi]

29. Voting a straight ticket

:hi: Hey, 
This is the first time I've responded to a post even though
I've been reading the site for years.  I have received several
emails that state you cannot vote straight Democratic ticket
and as an Election Inspection this is simply not true. Because
I will be working the polls on election day I have to vote
absentee ballot and I'm looking at mine right now and in the
instruction area at the top of the ballot it states:

STRAIGHT TICKET: Vote the party of your choice.  NOTHING
further need be done in the partisan section.

This information was most likely put out by the republican
party to cause confusion.  To verify this before going to the
polls in your voting precinct email the clerks office and ask
for specifics, some polling places have mock election booths
set up so people can go and look at the ballot prior to
election day.  You can also get voting information from the
League of Women Voters in your area. 

[mucifer]

32. It doesn't state that on my sample ballot:

Ballot Style: 8



















4th Congressional-5th Senate-10th Representative-2nd
BOR-6th Subcircuit
Instructions · Instrucciones
• To vote, connect the two parts of the arrow with a solid line.
• Vote for only one candidate per office, unless otherwise indicated.
• If you make a mistake, ask for a new ballot.
• You may write in a candidate only where there is a write-in blank.
Print the name in the blank and then connect the two parts of the arrow.
! DO NOT write in a candidate whose name is printed on the ballot.
DO NOT make any other marks on the ballot.
• Para votar, conecte las dos partes de la flecha con una línea sólida.
• Vote solamente por un candidato en cuada puesto, al menos de que se indique lo contrario.
• Si usted cometió un error, pida una boleta nueva.
• Usted puede votar por un candidato por-escrito solamente adonde hay una línea en blanco provista para
un voto por-escrito. Imprima el nombre en tal área en blanco y entonces conecte las dos partes de la flecha.
! NO escriba por un candidato cuyo nombre está en la boleta para ese puesto.
No haga ninguna otra marca en la boleta.




For use in:
WARD 01-Precincts: 08, 12, 31(R), 32(A), 35(R)
WARD 26-Precincts: 07(A), 32(A), 46(B)
WARD 27-Precincts: 18(A), 41(A), 56(A)
WARD 32-Precincts: 02, 04, 05, 29(R), 31, 33, 34(R), 35, 36, 52

















Precinct Ward
Precinto Distrito

Specimen General Election Ballot Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Boleta Ejemplar de la Elección General Martes, 4 de Noviembre del 2008
Chicago, Illinois

[BlooInBloo]

31. Sensationalistic foolishness. IL is COMPLETELY safe for Obama.

[quantass]

33. k&r

[torbird]

34. My precinct workers explicitly tell us this simple fact.

Every time. It would be false to say that people will be unaware (also IL is a very political state, especially the cities, so people already know this stuff).

I'm pretty sure there will be about 2 million votes from Chicago, alone, for Obama. So that ought to cover it.

[gateley]

35. Is it the same for Republicans? If they vote straight ticket R will that NOT

include McCain for Prez?

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Yes We Did]

51. Pot Meet Kettle?

I have three friends who received emails telling them what I told all of you.

Now... why don't you try taking your own advice?

And yes it did, until 1997.

[Patiod]

37. "They" certainly will be telling people

Polls should (and probably will) be staffed by Demcocratic and Republican oommitteepeople, and the Dems will remind every voter things like this before they walk into the polls.

Paper posters of the ballot are posted outside, and we show folks what they will be seeing when they enter the booth.

In PA, you can vote straight ticket, but there's something odd is going on that's of interest to Dems, (ex: "Yes" on the Open ballot question really is a vote against X or Y), we remind everyone as they go in to vote.

And Illinois is THE home of the policital machine, and if there's one thing political machines do really well, it's make sure the polls are staffed!

[darkism]

38. One more confirmation that we don't have straight ticket voting. n/t

[grace0418]

39. Not to worry. Illinois is most definitely not a problem.

Thanks for trying to keep people informed though.

[Minimus]

40. NC ballot plainly instructs voters that voting straight party

does not include presidential race - you must pick president.

The ballot is laid out so presidential pick is first - then option to vote rest of ballot straight party ticket right after that.

IL needs to fix their ballot.

[Danchi]

42. Straight Ticket Voting

Ballots are going to vary state by state so it's a good idea to check with the Clerks Office, Secretary of State or the Non-Partisan League of Women Voters for guidance. Happy voting

[bushisanidiot]

43. It's a good idea to make people aware, but I think most people are going to make sure they vote for

Obama specifically.

[Fire1]

46. It's always something.

[barack the house]

47. I'd just ask the election board first that would be wise.

[TragedyandHope]

48. Not true AFAIK

I already voted in IL and there was no "straight ticket" option.

[No Elephants]

49. It's the same for McCain, though, right?

[codjh9]

50. WAIT A MINUTE! I don't have the email now, but I receive an email saying JUST THE OPPOSITE

- that if you vote STRAIGHT TICKET, IT WILL WORK, AND TO *NOT* VOTE FOR OBAMA TOO - THEY SAID IT COULD EVEN NEGATE THE VOTE FOR HIM IF YOU VOTE STRAIGHT TICKET *AND* VOTE FOR HIM SEPARATELY. Please check this out further!!!

[Labors of Hercules]

52. Same is true in NC.

:thumbsup:

[quiet.american]

53. K&R nt