This wonderful sunny Spring Day morning is primary day in Illinois. I  did my duty as a citizen at a neighborhood church. On the way there I heard the local talk show host fielding calls on problems voters were having with the voting machines not working. The ballots were too large to slide into the slot for electronic counting. Further discussion uncovered the problem is all across Illinois. I’m not going to check it out now (its too nice out!) but I wonder if this problem is only in the county townships and not the cities. The reason I wonder is that urban votes are usually for Democrats with rural votes a bit split leaning only slightly Republican, if even that. Okay, I admit I’m very concerned about voter fraud. These machines should have been tested before setting them up. Illinois is a blue state. Here is a video that gives you an idea of the machines being used:

Some polling places were shearing off 1/16th of an inch from the problem side and that was working-but is it legal, the talk show host asks. Other places are simply having the ballots slipped into the slot on the side of the machine for either hand counting or machine counting later. That’s what I had to do. I certainly hope that these ballots across Illinois will be machine counted!

Well, that’s my voting adventure for today! Time to go out and yank weeds and enjoy my cherry tree’s blossoms, crocus, and daffs! I will try to keep from being concerned about my vote counting. Get out and vote, fellow Illinoisans! Gardenening can wait!

UPDATE: Citizens are being told that these ballots will be sent through a machine for counting, shearing those that need it.

Illinois 2012 Primary Results

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