Care for a hot dog with your vote?
Cast a vote at U Lucky Dawg hot dog stand, but don't get mustard on the ballot. Better yet, vote at the Crystal Clean Car Wash and drive home spotless.
With more than 2,000 polling places in Chicago, some voters have the option of grabbing lunch and voting at Big Cheese Pizza, 2554 W. Diversey Ave., or getting an oil change within feet of the ballot box at Advanced Auto Body Shop, 2531 N. Cicero Ave. Others might stop in for a shave and a haircut at League Styles Barber Shop, 411 E. 75th St., and cast their vote on the way out.
Most polling places are housed in schools or churches, but the Chicago Board of Elections reaches out to anyone from business owners to private residents to volunteer for election duty when needed, said Tom Leach, a board spokesman -- such as the hot dog stand, at 6821 N. Western Ave., and the car wash, at 3747 W. Division St.
"We work with the [board] committeemen to go out and solicit the owners of the buildings to use their sites," he said. "Every election cycle, we're scrambling for new ones."
The board pays $100 to house a polling station, as long as the building is within, or close to, the represented precinct. Leach said it helps if the building is well lit and heated, too.
Some host businesses keep their doors open to customers while the polling takes place. Paul Phillips, the owner of Club Lucky, 1824 W. Wabansia Ave. in the Bucktown neighborhood, said voting does not disrupt his regulars.
"It's business as usual," he said. "On a Tuesday, sometimes we do need that [back] room, but since we believe in the democratic process, we set that aside."
Phillips said he is happy to offer the use of a room in his restaurant, which he noted was used as a speakeasy during prohibition in the early 20th century.
"It's kind of a tradition.This has been a polling place here for 40 or 50 years," he said. "It's a lot of fun because you see the same precinct captains and everybody else every year. You have breakfast with the people."
The Original Pancake House, 10437 S.Western Ave., also devotes a room for the election each year. And while voters are there, they sometimes bring a little extra business.
"People come in, sometimes they eat first, and then they vote," said Jesus Riveria, one of the restaurant's managers.
Cynthia Jones, a manager for Flowers By Victor Wayne, 3034 W. Montrose Ave., said voting takes place in the heart of her 1,500-square-foot flower store.
"Half of it is for business and half is for polling," she said.
Other nonstandard polling places have to shut down business all together.
The director of Gardner Funeral Home, on West 71st Street, plans ahead to not have any services on election day so one of its chapels can host voters.
Owner Judge Gardner said that while some voters are surprised by voting in a place that traditionally hosts the dead, voters come to see the polling place as no different than any other church or school where you can cast a vote.
"I see it as benefiting the community, making it possible for the people to come and have a place to vote," Gardner said.
With more than 2,000 polling places in Chicago, some voters have the option of grabbing lunch and voting at Big Cheese Pizza, 2554 W. Diversey Ave., or getting an oil change within feet of the ballot box at Advanced Auto Body Shop, 2531 N. Cicero Ave. Others might stop in for a shave and a haircut at League Styles Barber Shop, 411 E. 75th St., and cast their vote on the way out.
Most polling places are housed in schools or churches, but the Chicago Board of Elections reaches out to anyone from business owners to private residents to volunteer for election duty when needed, said Tom Leach, a board spokesman -- such as the hot dog stand, at 6821 N. Western Ave., and the car wash, at 3747 W. Division St.
"We work with the [board] committeemen to go out and solicit the owners of the buildings to use their sites," he said. "Every election cycle, we're scrambling for new ones."
The board pays $100 to house a polling station, as long as the building is within, or close to, the represented precinct. Leach said it helps if the building is well lit and heated, too.
Some host businesses keep their doors open to customers while the polling takes place. Paul Phillips, the owner of Club Lucky, 1824 W. Wabansia Ave. in the Bucktown neighborhood, said voting does not disrupt his regulars.
"It's business as usual," he said. "On a Tuesday, sometimes we do need that [back] room, but since we believe in the democratic process, we set that aside."
Phillips said he is happy to offer the use of a room in his restaurant, which he noted was used as a speakeasy during prohibition in the early 20th century.
"It's kind of a tradition.This has been a polling place here for 40 or 50 years," he said. "It's a lot of fun because you see the same precinct captains and everybody else every year. You have breakfast with the people."
The Original Pancake House, 10437 S.Western Ave., also devotes a room for the election each year. And while voters are there, they sometimes bring a little extra business.
"People come in, sometimes they eat first, and then they vote," said Jesus Riveria, one of the restaurant's managers.
Cynthia Jones, a manager for Flowers By Victor Wayne, 3034 W. Montrose Ave., said voting takes place in the heart of her 1,500-square-foot flower store.
"Half of it is for business and half is for polling," she said.
Other nonstandard polling places have to shut down business all together.
The director of Gardner Funeral Home, on West 71st Street, plans ahead to not have any services on election day so one of its chapels can host voters.
Owner Judge Gardner said that while some voters are surprised by voting in a place that traditionally hosts the dead, voters come to see the polling place as no different than any other church or school where you can cast a vote.
"I see it as benefiting the community, making it possible for the people to come and have a place to vote," Gardner said.
Tagged: Bucktown
Discuss
Please log in or register to post your comment.