Mohamed Ismail, 32, of Streeterville, was the second person in the line to vote Thursday morning at the Chicago Board of Elections’ Super Site, one of two locations where Chicagoans can now cast general election ballots.
Ismail said he got in line about 8:20 a.m., 40 minutes before early voting got underway at 191 N. Clark St. and board’s offices at 69 W. Washington St.
“I’m excited to vote,” said Ismail, a project manager for a tech company. “I feel like this election is such a stark contrast between two very different visions for the future, one of which I do not want to see, one of which I’m scared of the future. I know I live in a blue state. I know people say my vote doesn’t matter. But it does.”
Between June 1 and the end of September, close to 50,000 Chicagoans — more women than men, and the majority were under the age of 35 — registered to vote, according to the city’s elections board. More than 3,600 18-year-olds and over 3,000 19-year-olds, who will be voting in their first presidential election, registered. No ages registered more than those two, which board Chair Marisel Hernandez said was “truly inspiring.”
Same-day registration is available at the Super Site and the board’s offices, as well as at early voting sites in all city wards, which open Oct. 21.
Limited early voting begins in suburban Cook County on Wednesday. Residents of the five collar counties began casting ballots last week, and voting was off to a strong start, election officials said. In DuPage County, turnout on day one of early voting smashed records set four years ago, according to the clerk’s office.
In Chicago, former high school teacher Elizabeth Pullapilly, 65, of Streeterville, was first in line at the Super Site. Pullapilly said she attended church earlier in the morning and was going to do volunteer work with prisoners after voting.
“I voted for Trump (in 2016), and he did a wonderful job,” Pullapilly said. “He really worked very hard and he helped a lot of the people and all that. And I was watching that for a long time, and then when he lost in 2020, of course, there was nothing we could do. But then now he came back again, and I feel that he will do a better job than the Democrat.”
Kimberly Mua, 34, of East Garfield Park, said she voted Thursday morning at the Super Site because she won’t be in town on Election Day.
“There’s a lot of things happening in our country right now, and it’s necessary to ensure that those who are running — who are in our administration, are putting policies that will protect myself and people that I love,” said Mua, a civil servant.
One local issue on the top of Mua’s mind is housing. She said providing more housing for the homeless and migrant populations is important. On the national level, Mua is focused on immigration, she said.
“I just don’t think that like just excluding everybody is the way to go,” Mua said.
John Coleman, 57, of Hyde Park, was also in line at the Super Site before it opened. Coleman said he became a regular voter because of his grandfather, who used to cook buckwheat pancakes for him on Election Day.
“That was the one day he would cook. He wasn’t a great cook,” Coleman said.
Coleman said he thought the general election was an important because there are so many issues that need to be addressed.
“I feel that one set of candidates will give us a better outcome, that is holistically better for the entire populace, as opposed to being siloed and more economically driven,” said Coleman, an IT project manager.
At the Super Site during a 10 a.m. news conference, Hernandez said residents shouldn’t wait to vote until Nov. 5.
“We’ve all been there, and we never know what can happen that day — child issues, health issues, weather issues, work issues,” Hernandez said. “Research your choices now, and make a plan to vote now.”
Hernandez said she used to be an early voter but has voted by mail for the last four elections. She said she received her mail ballot Monday, filled it out Wednesday and sent it back. Chicago residents can apply to vote by mail until Oct. 31.
Hernandez highlighted a number of races, including the presidential and the public school board contests.
“For the first time in our city’s history, voters will be choosing members of the new elected public school board,” Hernandez said. “Many people have worked for decades to put this office on the ballot.”
Registered Chicago residents may cast a ballot at any open voting site up until and on Election Day, no matter where they live in the city.
