Illinois Casts Votes for Barack Obama on Super Tuesday

The traffic at South Moline Township's Precinct One polling place in Rock Island County, Illinois was steady at 3:00 p.m. on Super Tuesday, as it had been all day. Outside, it was snowing big white flakes. When I asked how many people had voted that day, the judges told me that they had helped at least 500 voters.

"But," said one judge, "we've had 900 before in a primary."

I snapped a picture of the judges at their posts, and one male Republican judge asked me if I was a reporter.

"Sort of," I replied. "I write for a blog. You might see yourself on there."

He wrote down the name of the blog and smiled as I snapped his picture and that of the other judges.

I took the magic marker from the female judge nearest me and entered the voting "booth," if you can call it that. There were no curtains. It was really just a tall table with sides.

This is a heavily Democratic county, and it was possible for those who are not registered Democrats to vote Democratic, as my husband, a staunch Republican, illustrates. My husband voted in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, which supports the contention that Obama is attracting disenchanted Republicans and Independents. My husband voting Democratic is like Bill O'Reilly endorsing Hillary Clinton for President: unlikely in the extreme.

There was a proposal to fully fund medical benefits for military veterans on the ballot (it passed 92% to 8%), and there was a proposal to raise funds for our deserving local Niabi Zoo (It also passed). A television spot was even running with Jack Hanna, the zoo guy from "Letterman," explaining that the zoo does not plan to levy the maximum tax increase of up to six cents per $100 assessed property valuation that they are requesting.