Several election judges said there was a constant flow of people at polling places around Oak Park and River Forest today, including some sites that had a few people before 6 a.m. Polls, however, had slowed by Tuesday afternoon.
Melanie Frigo, a judge at Oak Park Village Hall, had been there since 5 a.m. and said one voter arrived before the polls opened at 6 a.m. Frigo said she and other judges there, including her son, Joseph, were very busy the whole morning. By about 2:15 p.m., there were a few people in the voting booths of the community room while their children waited.
Frigo said about triple the number of people who voted there Tuesday so far had voted there early. She said some people got confused, because early voting was held at village hall, and she had to tell a couple of people who came in that they were in the wrong place.
Frigo said she waited about 45 minutes to vote there last week, but came back to serve as a judge because she likes helping people and thinks it’s a good way to contribute to the community. She has been an Oak Park election judge since 1995, and was honored with another Oak Parker last month for her service at a luncheon with Cook County Clerk David Orr.
The ballroom at the Oak Park Arms — which was adorned with red, white and blue decorations and American flags — served as a polling place for two precincts. Judges there said it had been busy all day. Several people waited in line at one of the two tables, but moved through quickly.
At River Forest Village Hall, judge Heidi Peterson said about three quarters of the precinct had already voted shortly before 3 p.m. She said voters hadn’t experienced any problems since the polls opened and said everything was going pretty smoothly.
In other election news, for any voters feeling distraught about the outcome, Buzz Café in Oak Park is equipped with a solution: on-site therapists.
Owner Laura Maychruk said the idea came up eight years ago, slightly as a joke, but said it can be useful. The 2004 election results turned out to be a perfect example why the service was helpful, she said.
“When [George W.] Bush was re-elected Oak Parkers were really, really in a funk,” she said. “We did have therapists then. … If you recall [the winner] wasn’t clear [on election night]. We should have had the therapists the next day.”
Tonight at the Buzz Café, 905 S. Lombard, a TV will make its rare appearance for people wanting to follow election coverage. During this time, a local couple who are both therapists will hand out their cards to customers and be ready to offer advice as needed. Buzz Café will stay open until 10 p.m., which Maychruk said may unfortunately not be late enough to know the results.
Check back with OakPark.com tonight as local results become available. Â