EDGEBROOK — Voters in Edgebrook should double check their polling place before heading out to vote, after Park Community Church declined to host a polling place in Tuesday's mayoral and aldermanic runoff elections, officials said.
A voter claimed to be injured Feb. 24 while entering the church at 6155 W. Touhy Ave. to cast their ballot, said Zach Montroy, the church's director of operations.
"We're in the process of reviewing our insurance policy, and unfortunately that won't be resolved by Election Day," Montroy said. "We declined to host a polling place on April 7."
Signs will be posted at the church redirecting any lost voters to Wildwood Elementary School, Montroy said.
Instead, residents of precinct No. 47 will vote at Wildwood, 6150 N. Hiawatha Ave., along with four other precincts, said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Wildwood Elementary is under construction, with workers building an annex to relieve severe overcrowding.
It is not uncommon to have four or more precincts vote in a 3,000-square-foot school gymnasium, Allen said.
"The key in that situation is for voters to know their precinct number," Allen said. "Even when they don't, we have the electronic poll books to help guide them to the correct precinct, whether that's across the neighborhood or across the gym."
Ald. Mary O'Connor (41st), who is running for a second term against Chicago firefighter Anthony Napolitano, said voters in precincts set to vote at Wildwood should consider voting early, which is available through Saturday, to avoid long lines.
O'Connor won 49.5 percent of the votes cast in the 47th Precinct, with Napolitano winning 36.6 percent and business owner Joe Lomanto winning 13.8 percent in the first round of voting, according to election results.
Of the city's 2,069 precincts, 25 will have a different polling place, election officials said Tuesday.
Polling place information also is available at chicagoelections.com or by calling 312-269-7976.
Voters in the 41st Ward have cast 4,266 early votes — the highest vote total of any Chicago ward through Monday evening, according to election officials.
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