24 Precincts Affected by Ballot Allocation Error

The Chicago Board of Elections told the City Council’s Budget and Government Operations Committee on Monday that a coding mistake caused 24 of the city’s 1,291 polling places to receive insufficient ballot styles during the Nov. 3 election. Executive Director Sandra Aspera explained that the error misallocated specific ballot types to precincts, leaving some locations with too few copies of certain styles and an excess of others.

Aldermen criticized the board’s response to the shortages. Ald. Bill Conway, who represents the 34th Ward, stated that his constituents were “very frustrated” by the delays. He cited a malfunctioning ballot feeder and a delay in receiving replacement ballots at one site. Conway noted that students near the University of Illinois Chicago waited more than three and a half hours to cast their votes. He said he contacted the board twice regarding promised ballots that never arrived, resulting in the dispatch of an extra voting machine instead.

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez of the 25th Ward described the situation as “unacceptable.” He said replacement ballots arrived too late for some residents who left the lines. Sigcho-Lopez also pointed to shortages of basic supplies, including pens and clipboards, arguing that the board was not prepared for a heavy turnout. He rejected the notion that the election was handled well.

Aspera defended the staff’s performance, saying they “did a real good job.” She attributed long lines to high turnout, same-day registration, and a limited number of voting machines at busy sites. The final turnout was approximately 45 percent, a figure comparable to the 2022 midterms. General counsel Adam Lasker explained that the board’s in-house printers are not built for high-volume output. Printing 100 ballots takes about 45 minutes, and delivery from the warehouse caused further delays. In one instance within Sigcho-Lopez’s ward, replacements arrived after 7 p.m.

The board has implemented automated checks in its information technology systems to catch allocation errors before ballots are sent to print vendors. Aspera said she is now requiring approvals at multiple stages of the ballot-making process. Lasker noted that some supersites had about 80 voting machines and roughly 500 people waiting, suggesting the bottleneck was machine availability rather than ballot supply.

The hearing took place as the board seeks a $48.5 million budget for 2027. This represents an increase of about $20.6 million from the current year and is largely tied to preparations for the 2027 municipal election and the 2028 presidential election. Officials are also evaluating a ballot-on-demand system that would allow ballots to be printed at polling places, potentially allowing voters to cast ballots at any location rather than only their assigned precinct.

The city’s current contract for voting equipment ends in November 2028. The board is considering new technology as it prepares for that transition. Aldermen also raised concerns about communication difficulties on Election Day, noting that the board’s general phone line did not provide immediate assistance when problems arose at polling places.