Coding Error Causes Ballot Mismatches in Chicago Precincts
A technical glitch transposed ballot quantities in split precincts, leaving some voters waiting hours after polls closed.
By Rafael Bailey ·
The Chicago Board of Elections identified a coding error as the cause of ballot shortages at multiple polling locations on Election Day Tuesday. The technical failure resulted in incorrect quantities of specific ballot styles being sent to printers, creating a mismatch in supply for voters in certain districts.
The Board determined that a computerized calculation error affected how ballot styles were generated for split precincts. While the total number of ballots provided for each of the city's 1,291 precincts was accurate, the specific counts for individual ballot styles were transposed in some locations. This meant certain polling places had an oversupply of one ballot type while facing a shortage of another required for local voters.
Voters in the First Ward, Pilsen, and West Chatham reported long delays and lines that extended well past the 8:00 p.m. closing time. Eleazar Garza, a voter in Pilsen, stated he was still waiting in line while officials instructed him to wait further. Meredith Anderer in the First Ward noted that her polling place told her they were out of paper ballots. Tahya Bailey in West Chatham expressed frustration over the runout of ballots at her location.
First Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata witnessed the shortage at the Goethe Elementary School polling location. He called the Board of Elections at 3:30 p.m. to request more paper ballots, but the new prints did not begin arriving until two hours later. La Spata noted that many new school board races in the area were decided by margins of less than one percentage point, raising questions about whether the shortage affected turnout.
The Board stated that this is the first time it has experienced this specific type of error. Of the city's 1,291 precincts, 491 are classified as split precincts, representing 38 percent of the total. These locations are situated on district lines and often stock up to seven different ballot styles depending on voter addresses. Not all split precincts were impacted by the issue.
Spokesperson Julie Metea said the Board's IT Department has implemented automated validation checks and system safeguards to prevent similar errors before quantities are sent to the printing vendor. An ongoing investigation aims to determine the total number of precincts that ran out of at least one ballot style. The Board apologized to voters for the delays and thanked them for their patience.
La Spata urged residents to share their concerns at a budget committee hearing scheduled for Nov. 9. He emphasized that public trust is easily broken and difficult to repair. Metea confirmed the Board is still reviewing the full scope of the shortage, though it has already corrected the underlying coding issue.
