Feb 4, 2008 11:03 pm US/Central
5 Things To Know Before You Vote On Super Tuesday
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Super Tuesday is just hours away, with polls set to open for what could be a record-shattering turnout of voters. Election officials here in Chicago, and the suburbs are offering tips to avoid long lines.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports on five things voters should know before the polls open at 6 a.m.
With millions of people expected to cast ballots in the Chicago area Tuesday, local election officials are offering wardrobe advice. Tip 1: dress warmly. Officials hope lines do not stretch out of doors, but be ready just in case to spend a few moments waiting in the cold.
The Democratic contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and, on the Republican side, between John McCain and Mitt Romney, prompted 100,000 in Chicago alone to vote early or by absentee ballot -- more than triple the previous primary record.
Tip 2: Vote between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and you might avoid lines altogether.
Tip 3: No do-overs. If you voted early, you don't get another chance, even if you voted for Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards or one of the others who've since quit the presidential contest.
Tip 4: Don't forget to vote for your candidate's convention delegates. If you take a Republican ballot, your vote for president will mean nothing unless you also vote for your candidate's convention delegates. Former House Speaker Denny Hastert, for example, is running in his 14th Congressional District as a Romney delegate. Romney could lose big, but Hastert might still win a seat at the convention for him.
Tip 5: Illinois is not winner-take-all state. Democrats dole out delegates based roughly on the percentage each candidate gets. For Obama, the difference between a narrow win and a big win could be dozens of additional delegates. And Clinton could lose Illinois in a landslide, but still win more delegates than she did in her early victories in New Hampshire and Nevada combined.
Before going to the polls Tuesday, check out the CBS 2/Newsradio 780 Voter Guide for the races in your neighborhood.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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