Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Obama arrived at Shoesmith Elementary in Hyde Park to vote at 7:36 a.m. Tuesday morning. His wife Michelle and two daughters were by his side as he voted. After he cast his ballot, Obama greeted and shook hands with fellow voters before leaving with his family.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports that Obama spent about 15 minutes inside the school to cast his ballot before he took off for Indiana where he is breaking from tradition today to engage in some last-minute campaigning in that battleground state.

People in Obama's neighborhood were excited to not only vote, but to see him in person up close as he cast his ballot.

One African-American woman showed up to vote with a picture of her late father. She said she wanted to share in this historic experience with him because he did not live long enough to see it for himself.

Just after 7:30 a.m. the crowd roared as Obama's motorcade pulled up to Shoesmith Elementary, the Democrat nominee's polling place.

Kendall Perry was about three feet away working security.

"Barack Obama, his whole family came in, and we actually witnessed him vote for himself for president of the United States," Perry said. "Just a great, great, great event."

Poll worker Charletta Tibbs actually shook Obama's hand and had a brief conversation with him.

"He said, 'good job', and I said, 'thank you, Mr. President," Tibbs said.
 
After casting his ballot, Obama thanked poll workers and made his way outside. He waved to the crowd before getting into his motorcade and leaving.

Kristine Kohler Hall saw it all with her children.

"We came out this morning to see history. My husband had to get up really early and vote and he went over to Kenwood High School, and he said, 'Obama's voting across the street at 7:00, you should get the girls up and go', and I said, 'yeah, you're right,'" Hall said.

"It was just really great to see that and that it would be a good thing to do," said Madeleine Hall, Kristine's daughter. "Just to miss a little bit of school so we could come here."

People were lined up to vote at Shoesmith Elementary an hour before the polls opened.

It was a bittersweet moment for the man who hopes to become America's first Black president. He arrived in Chicago Monday night after finishing his final campaign stop in Virginia.

Obama lost his maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, yesterday. She died in her sleep after a long battle with cancer.

Obama learned of her death yesterday morning and with tears streaming down his face told a large crowd in North Carolina about her passing yesterday.

"Some of you heard that my grandmother who helped raise me passed away early this morning," Obama said. "And look, she has gone home. And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side. And so there is great joy, as well as tears. I'm not gonna talk about it too long because it's hard to talk about."

Obama last voted at Shoesmith during the primary. At that time, he showed up with his wife Michelle to cast their ballots on February 5th. The stakes have changed enormously since then. Last time he voted here, he gave an exclusive interview to the editor of the elementary school newspaper.

Now nine months later, a 21-month campaign finally comes to an end in a very different atmosphere with Barack Obama poised to possibly make history tonight.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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