North by Northwestern

Polling Precinct 6 at Parkes Hall expected crowds. But at around 2:00 p.m. the large, high-ceilinged room serving South Campus voters echoed with only the voices of the volunteer election judges seated behind the table by the entrance. The scene stood in stark contrast to the commotion going on elsewhere around campus, such as in Norris, where all afternoon long lines of students waited for free cake batter and cookie dough ice cream being handed out by Ben & Jerry’s.

At Patten Hall, Precinct 9, there were no lines at all. By 3:00 p.m., only 103 students had voted at the precinct, which served North Campus voters though campus voting stations remained open until 7 p.m. The Precinct’s election judges said there had been a slow but steady trickle throughout the day, and suggested that most students had probably already voted by absentee ballot or utilized early voting opportunities. All together, 779,000 people voted early in Chicago and the collar counties, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Voting early and voting absentee didn’t necessarily mean less complications for voters.

“I know someone who just got their absentee ballot yesterday,” said Communication freshman Rachel Berger, who wasn’t able to vote because she is only 17.

“I know someone who had to overnight his absentee ballot because it came so late,” said Weinberg sophomore Mike Goldstein. He is worried his absentee ballot, which he mailed in about two weeks ago, won’t be counted because of a small difference between the name he wrote on the ballot and the name he registered with. He registered without a middle initial, but included one on his ballot.

Weinberg junior Jonathon Rosenblatt, voting in his second election, couldn’t vote absentee because he lives in Cook County. He chose to vote early instead, but said he was frustrated with how long he had to wait in line and described a chaotic scene in which allegedly incompetent volunteers were unhelpful to voters having trouble using the voting machines.

Then sometimes, even when absentee ballot requests were sent in, the ballot itself never arrived. Weinberg freshman Andrew Duble registered for his New York absentee ballot but didn’t receive it. He eventually had his parents pick one up in person and mail it to him. “If it hadn’t come in time, there is not much I could have done,” Duble said.

Some students registered in Illinois who never received their absentee ballot could vote with a provisional ballot, according to the election judges of Precinct 9. This required two forms of ID, proof of residence and a Social Security number. The validity of votes cast provisionally is determined only after election day, at which point the vote may not be counted, according to Illinois’ Provisional Voting Rights and Limitations.

“The absentee ballot system isn’t perfect,” said Duble, suggesting that there should be a system to check the mailing status online. “But it felt good to vote. It felt like I was making a difference.”