Democratic Party - 49th Ward

Important Voter Information

There is important information about the Election on Tuesday, November 2 throghout this website.

If you have questions or need help please use the following:
Democratic Party of the 49th Ward
(773) 761-4949 . . . Web: . .49th Ward
Chicago Board of Elections
(312) 269-7900 . . . Web . .Chicago Board of Elections
Cook County
(312) 603-0906 . . . Web . . .Cook County (Suburban Voters)

Democratic Sample Ballot Download in MS Word
Download 49th Ward Sample Ballot.doc (826.0K)
You CAN take this into the voting booth!

Where is my polling place?:
49th Ward
City of Chicago
Cook County

Am I registered to vote?
City of Chicago
Cook County

What if I am denied the right to vote?
Click here

Can I get a ride to go vote at the polls?
Yes, if you live in the 49th Ward. Call (773) 761-4949

Can I still volunteer to help elect Kerry, Obama and other great democrats?
YES! Please call us right now at (773) 761-4949

Who is John Kerry?
Click Here

Who is Barack Obama?
Click Here

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!

Only a week ago I was feeling a little down because we had made such a strong effort to register new voters and after the canvass dropped 2,000 who had moved we ended up with only 2,000 new voters, (4,000 newly registered). Those numbers were released by the Chicago Board of Elections in there initial report on registration. What happens after the initial report is they continue to process remaining registrations. Normally this would add a couple of hundred at best.

Yesterday I call the Chicago Board of Election because I just couldn't believe that we didn't register more people. My gut feeling was right. Lance Gough, the Director of the Board of Elections confirmed that of the citywide total of 10,000 supplemental registrations processed approximately 20%, at least 2,000, were from the 49th Ward! And they aren't quite done yet. It looks like our efforts have paid off in the registration of more than 6,000 people for this Election!

Even I am surprised that it jumped that high. The combination of our hard work and the overwhelming opposition to Bush and Keyes has created a perfect storm scenario. I will update this post to provide the final number, but all of you who worked all summer and fall to register voters should be feeling very proud of your efforts. Election Day will hold the final answer, but our strategy of putting all of our efforts into voter registration is working.

If the rest of the Kerry base across America has worked as hard as we have here in Rogers Park there can be no doubt that Bush will be gone and a new era, in the person of President John Kerry, will have begun.

THANK YOU!

Election Day Rally/Training Session

This Saturday, October 30, 2004 we will be rallying for victory and providing training for everyone who will be working on Election Day, (Nov. 2). I really hope that you are planning to work Election Day!

This is an incredibly important time. We need everyone at this rally and working on Election Day. There are to many things at stake to take it easy and not work hard. If you are a Democrat, this rally and Election Day are the most important things you could be doing. You cannot let someone else take care of this for you.

St. Jerome’s Parish Center
1709 W. Lunt - 1rst Floor
10:00 AM Sat. 10/30/04
Click map to enlarge.

Election Day Is Now Only One Week Away!

Do you care enough about this nation to spend 14 hours working to change its direction?

Election Day is only two weeks away now. We are pulling together our Election Day operation so that we can send Kerry/Edwards and Obama out of Illinois with the highest vote counts ever received here. You are the single most important piece of the puzzle left in this election. The next President of the United States will be the candidate that delivers his voters to the polls.

Our ward votes Democratic. In many elections Democrats win 80% of the vote. In this election that number can be even higher. The real difference will be if we can get 80 something percent of 8,000 voters or if we can get 80 something percent of 15,000 voters. The difference is going to be in the hands of you, our volunteers.

On Election Day most of our volunteers will be ringing voters doorbells to remind them to vote, again and again, until they come out and do it. Polls in Chicago are open from 6:00 am until 7:00 pm. Volunteers generally begin at 5:30 am and the work ends when the last votes are counted, (normally about 8:30 pm). If you cannot do this work, we can assign you to our phone bank where you can call voters and remind them to come vote. The thing to remember is that every person has something to offer to this great victory. My promise to you is that if you volunteer, we will make the best use of your time to create a Kerry/Edwards and Obama victory.

If you are thinking all day Election Day is a long day and you're not sure you want to do it, remember that one day, even a long one, is a whole lot shorter than 4 more years of George W. Bush.

What we need you to do is make arrangements to be free on Election Day. Take vacation, find a baby sitter, talk to your professor. Once you know your availability, send us an e-mail. We will schedule you to a polling place where you can make your contribution. During the day we will be part of a team. We will have provided training for you so that you will be fully ready and prepared to bring victory home. You will get lunch and after all the votes are counted we will be having a huge victory party to celebrate the fantastic victories.

I am ready to volunteer!

You will go home tired, but proud that you made a difference.

Kerry Rally in Chicago!

For those of you who are not able to make it to Wisconsin on Saturday the 16th, please strongly consider join me on Sunday, October 17 at 3:00 pm for a rally for John Kerry. The Illinois Kerry Campaign and the Illinois Women for Kerry are sponsoring a rally at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #134 Hall at 600 W. Washington.

Turnout for this event is very important. This is the only event for Kerry on the schedule and we must fill the room for the TV cameras and the media in general. The event will feature several great Democratic leaders who will be speaking and a possible appearance by Teresa Heinz Kerry.

This is a simply way to show your support for Kerry/Edwards, something we have not asked you to do much so far, and to help fight the growing voter apathy that is settling upon the Illinois Democratic voters because of the presumptive victories Obama and Kerry are supposed to enjoy.

We Have A Destination and a Mission

Goal: 45
On the Bus: 26
Still Need: 19

Get On The Bus!

We are GOING on a 49th Ward road trip to help our Wisconsin brothers and sisters elect John Kerry President of the United States. We are traveling on Saturday, October 16. You should plan to be gone all day, we will be doing outside work, we will be in Kenosha, Wisconsin and transportation and lunch will be provided.

The plan is to leave at 9:00 am from the Aldermanic Office parking lot at 7356 N. Greenview, get to Kenosha by 11:00, have lunch, and no later than 12:00 Noon hit the street. We will be canvassing and will either be identifying Kerry voters or passing absentee ballot applications in 65% and up Democratic precincts. We will then return to the Kenosha office and head home no later than 5:00. We are going to have our own bus and we will be stopping at the Brat Stop for a few beers and some food compliments of the Alderman and the Committeeman. We would expect to be home no later than 9:00 pm.

We have a mission. Lets show them how the big dogs do a job!

If you have not signed up we still need you.

If you decide at the last minute to make the trip we have room for you. Just show up at 9 am.

Click here to send your RSVP/confirmation email.

Voter Registration Numbers Are Up

In the ever-changing world of 49th Ward voter registration overall registration is up approximately 2,000, which translates into roughly a 10% net increase. What is always frustrating is to go out and register 3,000 – 4,000 new voters only to find that 1,000 – 2,000 have left the active voter rolls in the canvass. Nevertheless, to all of you who have spent the summer registering people to vote one by one I have a very big THANK YOU for you. The work you have done is incredible.

Special thanks go to Kurt, Vanessa and Helen who did well over 150 new registrations each. One of them will be the big winner, receiving an autographed original edition copy of Barack Obama’s book “Dreams from My Father” and a $100 Red Lobster gift certificate.

You will not know who wins unless you come Monday evening to the political meeting. They all deserve your warmest congratulations and well wishes.

October Political Meeting

This month the Democratic Party of the 49th Ward has Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine as our special guest speaker. Devine was elected in a huge upset over former Republican State’s Attorney Jack O’Malley in 1996, a defeat that triggered the end of straight party voting.

For two terms Devine has run the office in a professional way. He has concentrated on expanding diversion programs for minor drug offenders and has created a domestic violence unit, bringing in Pam Paziotopoulos, director of the APRI Violence Against Women Program, to run it. Another priority was to create an effective juvenile justice bureau. To run it, he called upon Cathy Ryan, an outstanding professional in the field.

We will also have a community update, a political update, and award the prizes to the volunteer with the highest total registrations for the period covering March to October.

The event is being held:
Monday, October 18, 2004
Campeche Restaurant
7124 N. Clark St.
2nd Floor Banquet Room
Refreshments: 6:30 pm
Meeting: 7:15 pm

49th Ward Fundraiser

One week from today the Democratic Party of the 49th Ward will hold its pre-election fundraiser. It is going to be held at the Jamaica Jerk restaurant, an excellent new 49th Ward restaurant. It is located at 1631 W. Howard. It will be held on Monday, October 11, 2004 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Tickets are available for $100, and a contribution would be helpful and appreciated. On the other hand, please know that if you are a volunteer, regardless of your ability to pay, we want you there. Do not let money be the reason you don’t stop in.

Parking is available behind the restaurant and is accessed from Howard St. We will be serving soft drinks and hor dourves and will have a short program.

If you would like more information please call (773) 761-4949 or email us.

Wisconsin Here We Come! We have a Destination and a Mission!

Goal: 45
On the Bus: 26
Still Need: 19

Get On The Bus!

We are GOING on a 49th Ward road trip to help our Wisconsin brothers and sisters elect John Kerry President of the United States. We are traveling on Saturday, October 16. You should plan to be gone all day, we will be doing outside work, we will be in southeast Wisconsin and transportation will be provided. This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

What we need from you is to send us an email telling us you are willing to commit to a trip on the 16th with your fellow 49ers. Send it to me now so we can plan properly.

More information on Wisconsin is available

Our goal is to get 45 people together so that we can go on our own bus. The plan is to leave at 9:00 get to southeast Wisconsin by 12:00, have lunch and no later than 1:00 hit the street. We would be going door to door working on absentee ballots or whatever else they decide is important. We would then return to the office and head home no later than 6:00. If we are able to get a group large enough to have our own bus we will be stopping at the Brat Stop for a few beers and some food compliments of the Alderman and the Committeeman. We would expect to be home no later than 10:00 pm.

We will probably not know exactly where we are going until a couple of days before and we will not know exactly what we will do until then. What I need to know is who is going to go. Please get back to me.

If we are going to get our own bus we need to know if you are going to go soon. Please respond by email ASAP. Thank You.

We have a destination and a mission!

We are going to Kenosha. We will be canvassing and will either be identifying Kerry voters or passing absentee ballot applications in 65% and up Democratic precincts. We have a mission. Lets show them how the big dogs do a job!

Click here to send your confirmation email.