Trouble at Prospect Hts. polling place, votes trickle in

While votes continue to trickle in at quiet polling places throughout the suburbs today, the Cook County Sheriff's Department showed up to quiet noisy campaign workers at a Prospect Heights polling place twice before 9 a.m., according to the Cook County Clerk's office.

The first complaint came at 6:50 a.m. when an election judge said someone was campaigning too close to the voting area, even after he or she was asked to stop, said Courtney Greve, spokeswoman for Cook County Clerk David Orr.

A sheriff's department official stopped by the River Trails Condominium polling place at 811 Apple Drive in Prospect Heights again at about 9 a.m. after the clerk's office received another similar complaint. This time the sheriff came with a representative from the state's attorney's office, Greve said.

No one was arrested either time.

“It appears it was two people from two different campaigns accusing each other of being aggressive and campaigning too close to the polling place,” Greve said.

Due to manpower issues, a deputy sheriff can't stay at the polling place all day, but the spot will “be put on the hot list,” Greve said.

Aside from the isolated Prospect Heights incident, county clerks in most areas are seeing a lower turnout than usual on this April 5 election day.

Lake County Clerk Willard Helander said, as of 9:15 a.m., less than the expected 20 percent turnout has ben viewed at polling places throughout Lake County.

“Voting hasn't been robust at this point and I don't anticipate getting the 20 percent expected,” she said. “Some polls in races of great interest will get the 20 percent, but the rest will fall below that number.”

She said she has been to a couple of polling places in Vernon Township that have been busy from start to finish, but a couple others that have been extremely slow.

“One site in Vernon Township was completely empty and only had six people so far,” she said. “But, another at Kildeer School was busy from the start this morning. It really depends on the race.”

When election judge Bob Herron arrived at his Naperville polling place at 6 a.m., he did not see a line of people waiting to vote. He said that will probably mean a low voter turnout at the polling place in far south Naperville.

When state and national candidates are on the ballot, he said, there is usually a group of people waiting to vote the minute the polls open. Today's election, which features local candidates, will be decided by about 15 percent of registered voters, he predicted.

Herron and his neighbor, Naperville mayoral candidate Kenn Miller, said they're concerned about the low voter turnout in an election that will directly affect voters' pocketbooks.

Courtney Greve, spokeswoman for the Cook County Clerk's Office, said the numbers going to the pools seem to be right in line or a bit lower with a normal voter turnout for a consolidated election.

“Overall all we can say is that it looks a little low at this point, but we do not do any type of exit polling so that is only going by what we are hearing from election judges,” she said. “Of course, voter turnout for consolidated elections range anywhere from the high teens to the high twenties, and it hasn't really been much higher than that in suburban Cook County.”

She added all suburban Cook County polls opened on time, and reported minimal problems.

“We've taken about 200 calls, but those are mostly equipment problems or election judges with a question,” she said. “So far, everything is running smooth.”