ENGLEWOOD — Black voters in Englewood came out Tuesday with as much enthusiasm as they had when Barack Obama was on the ballot.
And some said that voting this year was even more urgent than previous elections because of what’s at stake in the race between GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“I don’t want to be in a country that’s led by a fool,” said 22-year-old Deontae Robinson. “It’s a critical time right now.”
He said he voted for Clinton at Bethel-Imani Lutheran Church, 6201 S. Sangamon St.
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Unemployment is a big issue that Robinson said he would like to see addressed. More jobs mean less violence, Robinson said, adding that he recently lost a friend.
“He got killed at 12:01 p.m., but if we were working, we would’ve been on lunch break at that time, so I look at it like that,” he said.
He said he doesn’t believe that Trump will help cut unemployment because he wants to take away supplemental assistance, such as food stamps and Social Security, that many people rely on.
Robinson's girlfriend, Myriah Glen, 21, said she also voted for Clinton. Clinton being elected would be another historic moment in presidential history, she said.
And Glen said she didn't vote for Clinto just because she’s a woman.
“I feel it’s best that Hillary become president because of what she can put in and actually change,” she said.
Vanessa McCaskill, an Englewood resident for more than 20 years, said she came out to cast her vote for Clinton.
“It’s very important to me,” she said. "It’s very important to black people, period, so I advise everyone 18 and older to get out and vote.”
Even though she’s sad to see Obama go, she has faith in Clinton, she said.
“Hilary can make a difference, too,” she said.
Darryl Smith, president of the Englewood Political Task Force, has been out encouraging people to vote.
Darryl Smith [Provided/ Darryl Smith]
Compared to when Obama ran, this election has a different vibe among voters, he said.
“This one is like pick the best of two evils,” he said. “Obama was what we all thought was a step into history and two steps forward for our race in this country.”
He said that everyone needs to vote because it’s not just for the next president.
“We’re voting for various other offices that impact our daily lives,” he said. “There were things on the ballot that impacts your child's education, taxes, etc.”
Overall voter turnout in Chicago is expected to meet or exceed the 2008 and 2012 turnout, when nearly 75 percent of voters went to the polls, said Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
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In all, 325,112 early ballots were cast in the election. More than 62,000 ballots that have been cast by mail — a "massive amount," officials said.
That means about 400,000 ballots were cast in Chicago before 6 a.m. Tuesday, when the polls opened on Election Day.
All polling places were to remain open until at least 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters waiting in line at the time the polls close must be allowed to vote under state law.
Complaints can be made to each polling place's head election judge or by calling 312-269-7870, officials said.
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