Some Chicagoans are facing long lines and nearly three-hour waits at polling stations

LAKEVIEW — North Side neighbors hoping to avoid Election Day lines by voting early are instead facing long waits, with some saying they waited up to three hours before finally casting their ballot.

At the Merlo Library in Lakeview, 644 W. Belmont Ave., there were lines this week that stretched for a block and moved at a snail's pace, voters said.

“I arrived at 5 p.m. and didn’t finish until 7:30 p.m.,” Lakeview resident Cassie Branderhorst said Wednesday. “I voted here early in the past and was there once. This is definitely the longest I’ve waited for – by far.”

“It is common for early voting lines to also occur as Election Day approaches and during presidential elections, which historically have the highest voter turnout,” said Max Bever, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Location is also a factor, and lines at Merlo Library are consistently long at all times of the day, he said.

“Unfortunately, people should expect lines, particularly in popular county locations with easy access to public transportation,” such as many lakefront and north side counties, Bever said.

But many North Side voters said they had never seen such an early voting provision.

“This is where I usually go to vote, and I’ve never seen a line like this,” Deanna Meirink said Thursday afternoon outside the Merlo Library. “My husband was here two days ago and it took him almost two hours. That’s a little alarming.”

Meirink works remotely, so she was able to wait out Thursday, she said. This was not the case for other voters.

“I got here half an hour ago and we’re not even halfway there yet,” Eli Otting said, checking the time on his phone. “I have to be back for a work call, so I probably won’t make it today.”

A few minutes later, a woman dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle left the line and walked down Belmont Avenue in frustration. Other hopeful voters began to file out of the line as people slowly filtered out of the library.

When people at the front of the line were told they had to wait two and a half hours to vote, neighbor Marysa Frigo gasped.

“I don’t even remember the lines being that long on Election Day,” Frigo said. “You'd think coming in the middle of the workday would shorten the wait, so we're here now rather than at 5 p.m. I can’t even imagine what it’s like.”

Waiting in Wicker Park, Bucktown

Voters who dropped off their ballots at the Bucktown-Wicker Park branch library stood in line for nearly two hours early Thursday afternoon.

Daniel Lopez, 28, of Bucktown said he was in line around 11:40 a.m. and cast his vote around 1:30 p.m

Although the wait was long, Lopez said he stood in an even longer line when he voted in central Illinois on Election Day 2016. Still, he didn't expect Thursday's vote to take so long, calling it “not ideal.”

Hannah Carroll of Bucktown said she arrived at the library polling station at noon Thursday. It was just before 1:40 p.m. when she voted.

Carroll, 23, said she wanted to vote early to avoid potentially long lines on Election Day.

“Apparently it wasn’t really that far from the finish line, was it?” she said.

Although the lines outside the library didn't appear to be too long, inside it was a different story, Carroll said.

“The snakes just (continued) to go up the stairs,” she said.

The long lines are forcing some voters to postpone or change their voting plans. Mia Spitz, 30, of Bucktown said she arrived at the Bucktown-Wicker Park branch at 4 p.m. Wednesday but decided to leave after seeing how long it was taking.

Spitz returned around 2 p.m. on Thursday – and found that the line was longer than the day before.

Although Spitz was happy about the large number of voters, “I wish I had voted by postal vote,” she said.

Where to find shorter queues

Early voting in all 50 counties began on October 21st.

Through November 4th, early voting sites will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Most early voting sites will also be open on Election Day.

One point Bever and the elections board wanted to make this week is that people don't have to live in a county to vote at that county's early voting site. Chicagoans can vote at any early voting location in the city.

“We recommend trying another nearby early voting site if possible,” Bever said. “Because it is a Vote Anywhere program, voters can use any website, regardless of where they live in the city.”

For North Side residents seeking shorter lines, Bever recommended the 46th Ward location at Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave.; the 48th Precinct at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway; and the Northtown Library's 50th District, 6800 N. Western Ave. All tend to have shorter lines than the Merlo and Lincoln Park libraries, he said.

“Another great option is the American Indian Center’s 30th District location, which has some impact from the 40th and 47th District locations,” Bever said. “The 47th District in Welles Park is always very popular.”

The city's Downtown Supersite at 191 N. Clark St. has 72 touchscreen kiosks, and lines move much faster, Bever said. For comparison, the Merlo library only has 10 touchscreen devices.

Presidential elections always bring higher voter turnout, Bever said. In Chicago, 70 percent of the city's registered voters typically go to the polls, or over 1.1 million people.

What is on the ballot also plays a role in the long lines. It is common for presidential election ballots to be longer because they include numerous judicial candidates and questions about judicial retention in general elections often fill the second page, Bever said.

Cheat sheets and voter guides are allowed when voting, giving voters an incentive to spend a little more time on the touchscreens.

“In comparison, voters in municipal votes with only a few offices may take two to five minutes, but voting for the presidential election this year could take 10 to 15 minutes,” Bever said. “Voters who wish to cast their vote in person should therefore expect that they will need additional time.”

“It’s better to be worth it.”

It was windy, rainy and up to 70 degrees at times for the roughly 100 people who stood in line on the block outside the Merlo Library on Thursday.

Some read books, others listened to music and podcasts. Several people were seen carrying portable chargers for their phones, knowing they were in it for the long haul.

Branderhorst spent most of his time scrolling Instagram and chatting with other people in line.

“Since the structure of our democracy was at stake, I was happy to wait,” said Branderhorst. “And also so grateful to the poll workers. It was a long day for them too.”

After waiting two and a half hours, being rained on three times and missing much of the workday, Meirink said she was just glad to get it over with.

“It should all be worth it,” said Meirink. “That’s all I have to say.”

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