The Supersite Was Easy

I went to the early voting supersite in downtown Chicago for the 2026 midterms. My goal was to get it out of the way.

It was an easy experience, like going to my usual polling place on election day.

There was no option for a paper ballot. Voters at the supersite get a quick education on the electronic machines. Simple enough. I prefer a paper ballot. Maybe you only get that on election day.

They didn't check IDs. In my experience as a Chicago voter, precinct workers never do. They make sure you're registered. At the supersite they had to determine my actual precinct so I could vote. They probably got the information to confirm I was legitimate.

Given that they didn't check IDs, perhaps I could have presented myself as my late father. Would they have accepted that? Who knows.

I can talk about who I voted for, though only for select people.

Start with judges. In Illinois we elect our judges. There are articles in Chicago media about the electioneering for candidates who aspire to the bench. Just like for other offices, if the Democratic machine slates a candidate, that's an endorsement. It goes a long way, though not a guarantee.

The problem with electing judges is that you don't know who many of them are. If I didn't know the judges, I didn't vote for them. I voted no on retention for all of them. Some bad judges were in the news for one application of the Safe-T Act.

Some of the judges who made the news did so because of electronic monitoring under the Safe-T Act. The law ended cash bail and left judges to decide between detention and release with conditions. Monitoring is the main condition they use when they do not detain. It is not the same as jail. People cut the ankle monitor, leave the house, or go missing, and under the rules they are not treated as escapees until they have been gone for 48 hours. The people who track the monitors often cannot arrest anyone. They report the violation and hope a judge will act. When someone charged with a serious crime is later charged with a new one while on that monitoring, the original decision is what ends up in the papers.

I wish we could do better on choosing our judges. There probably isn't a huge movement to change how judges get seated on the bench in this state.

I was surprised to see Libertarians running for county offices such as County Board President and Sheriff. No Republicans at all. In fact there weren't too many Republicans running statewide in the 2026 primaries aside from Governor. The Republican candidate for state treasurer actually ran in the primary as a write-in.

We need an opposition party in this state. Cook County needs an opposition party too. And so be it if it's the Libertarians. If only members of the Libertarian Party just joined the Cook County Republican Party.

I voted for Alexi Giannoulias for Secretary of State. He's running for Mayor of Chicago next year. I'm a long way from predicting next year's mayoral race. He's my favorite to win the mayor's office. There are a number of serious candidates running. Judging by how he's run the secretary of state's office, he could probably handle being mayor of Chicago.

It's amazing that I'm saying this. Giannoulias served one term as state treasurer, tried to run for Barack Obama's old Senate seat, and narrowly lost to Republican Mark Kirk in 2010. He spent a little time in the wilderness until running for IL Secretary of State.

Everyday Illinoisans have to go to the Secretary of State to renew driver's licenses and vehicle license plates. There are other functions, but we go to them for our driver's licenses especially.

My prediction for Illinois: Pritzker gets his third term and all the executive offices will be swept by Democrats. Alexi will get another term as Secretary of State and will immediately go into campaign mode again for Mayor of Chicago. We need someone capable and competent in office there for sure.

The main thing is the opposition party of this state will continue to struggle. They have another four years to get it together.