In the wake of the IL-6, erm, result, it is easy to overlook what may become the defining election in Chicago: Claypool vs. Stroger.
With about 50% reporting last night when I went to bed, Claypool was sitting on a 4 point lead (52%-48%). Now, with nearly 90% of the vote in Stroger has reversed the results, leading Claypool 52% to 47%.
Meanwhile both candidates are claiming voting irregularities. Certainly things have gone problematic in Chicago and Cook County, what isn't clear is why or what it will mean. This has the potential of being for the Chicago Democratic machine what IL-6 is to the DC Democratic establishment, only, if possible, worse.
11:59 p.m -- This is getting very ugly and interesting. Here's Democratic State Sen. Donne Trotter speaking to the gathering at Stroger HQ: "Our community has been disenfranchised. This process has at this point, has been a farce, because we at 11:30 going on midnight have not been recognized in this political process....Mr. Claypool says he is going to send lawyers to find out what is wrong...It's very curious when he's been saying that this is going to be an election of the people and he wanted this election by the people that our community is the community that is not being counted....So we have sent people over to the Election Board....So we are certainly going to be on top of this. This fight is not over. ..The votes that are not being counted are from our community. I declare that this is our victory and we will prove that by morning time."
11:57 p.m. -- Statement from the podium at Stroger HQ: "We need to make sure that all the votes are counted in this race...We are particularly concerned with reports we are hearing from the Board of Elections....We are very concerned about this....We have already dispatched lawyers...to make sure that all the votes are counted. Make no mistake about it, John Stroger won this race tonight. The votes that are still missing are from predominately African American precincts."
Claypool:
12:34 a.m. -- Political consultant David Axelrod speaking for the Claypool campaign on WLS Ch. 7: "This is not the way to run an election. We are really, really concerned about the integrity (of this) process....There is all this uncertainty...We don't know in whose possession (the ballots) are being held....Where are the police and law enforcement authorities to make sure there is no manipulations of this process. It's really unsettling to have ballots flying around this town, given the history of this town.....We're making an appeal to the board and the county clerk to have these ballots guarded and identify where any outstanding ballots are....If there are ballots that are still in the precincts, in whose custody are they?...It is a terrible shame. Both campaigns are affected by this....Election day has now become election week as a result of this brave new technology....Once these ballots have been transported and passed through many hands, it raises questions that may never be answered....(But) when all the votes are counted we're going to win this election."
Serious problems in counting ballots--occasioned by the county's use of new, high-tech voting equipment--put a big "incomplete" sign on the Democratic primary contest between Cook County Board President John Stroger and challenger Forrest Claypool.
Before the counting stopped, both campaigns raised questions about the election equipment and alleged uncounted ballots, and both sides planned to dispatch lawyers to investigate the election returns.
In saying that the vote count would not be completed overnight, Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said, "We have accounted for the votes. What we haven't been able to do is count them."
Counting resumes at 1 pm. The next question becomes, "When will the result really be final?"
