Corrupt hiring practices are a fact of life for Chicago Democrats. They have used it for decades to cement their personal political positions.

Incoming Cook County Recorder of Deeds, Karen Yarbrough, has taken the patronage hiring practice to a whole new level. She had the audacity to interfere with the current hiring of positions in the Recorder of Deeds office that are strictly prohibited from being passed out to political pals.

"This is continued evidence that the voters of Cook County are under-served by the Democratic machine," said Sherri Griffith, 2012 Republican candidate for Cook County Recorder of Deeds. "Allowing politicians like Karen Yarbrough to serve in elected office without prosecution for current and past offenses is shameful."

The Chicago GOP thanks Fox 32 Chicago, the Better Government Association and the federal monitor who brought Yarbrough’s actions to light.

We look forward to Cook County Inspector General Pat Blanchard’s full report on the matter and expect Yarbrough to offer her resignation if the allegations are proven to be true.

I want to thank you for everything you've done to help elect Republicans this year.

We're come so far as a political organization these past 6 months.  Thanks to the passion and efforts of volunteers like you, we've grown our volunteer base to nearly 1000 strong.  Because of the time you've generously given, our combined Chicago GOP/Victory HQ made more calls than any other center in the state.  With a coalition effort to recruit election judges, we vetted and placed more Republican election judges than any other cycle in decades.  And as a result of your financial contributions, we've broken fundraising records.

I have never been more optimistic about the impact that Chicago Republicans can have on Illinois politics.  With our state's constitutional officers and a US Senate seat all on the ballot in 2014, the Chicago Republican vote will be a difference-maker, and because of the groundwork we've laid together, we'll be organized, funded, and ready to go.

To our candidates, thank you for putting yourself out there and fighting for our principles.  To our Committeemen, thank you for all that you do.

Last night was a tough one.  Be proud of what we've accomplished.

The fight for the future of Illinois starts today.

To victory,

Adam Robinson

Chairman

Long lines and frustration at a polling place at the Newberry Elementary School at 700 W Willow were caused by the new teacher's contract, according to officials there.

When poll workers showed up at 5:00 am to open, they were told by Newberry staff that they couldn't use the school gym, where the polling place had been located been located for many years. They were instead cramped into a side room, where tight conditions made it difficult to erect all of the polling booths. Lines stretched out the door and down the block as people struggled to vote. Booths were placed an inch apart. The single polling location was shared by two different precincts.

Linda Foley-Acevedo, the principal, said the gym was unavailable because it is where students have lunch. On election day, students are normally directed to have lunch in their classrooms under teacher supervision, but under the new teacher's contract this was not allowed, because teachers are entitled to a break without supervising children. There was insufficient flexibility in the contract to allow exceptions.

Irritated voters, struggling to vote and get to work on time, didn't think much of the contract.

"This is yet another reason that inflexible public union contracts, with absurd work rules, cause problems for the taxpayer," said Chris Cleveland, spokesman for the Chicago Republican Party. "Can't we use common sense for one day?"

Early voting in Chicago starts today!

Click here to find your early voting location: http://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=9

Click here if you would like to see your sample ballot: http://www.chicagoelections.com/voterinfo.php

--

You know Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are on your ballot as Republican candidates for President and Vice President. But, do you know there are dozens of other Republicans running for office in Chicago as well?

The Democratic controlled Chicago Board of Election Commissioners knocked several qualified Republicans off official ballots. Never fear, we Republicans are survivors and we find other ways to give Chicagoans a choice. As you will see below, many Republicans will ask for your vote as write-in candidates. To vote for them, you simply fill in the box for write-in and print the candidates first and last name in the space provided.

For your convenience, here is a list of all the Republicans running for office in Chicago in 2012. The election is November 6th, 2012.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

1st District: Donald Peloquin

2nd District: Brian Woodworth

3rd District: Richard Grabowski

4th District: Hector Concepcion

5th District: Dan Schmitt

7th District: Rita Zak

9th District: Timothy Wolfe

ILLINOIS STATE SENATE

1st State Senate District: Write-In candidate George MaAyteh

2nd State Senate District: Write-In candidate Ronald Baltierra

6th State Senate District: Write-In candidate Scott Campbell

7th State Senate District: Write-In candidate Rafael Chagin

8th State Senate District: Write-In candidate Tom Morris

17th State Senate District: Write-In candidate Xavier Roman

18th State Senate District: Barbara Ruth Bellar

28th State Senate District: Jim O'Donnell

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th,  16th, 20th and 39th state senate districts are uncontested by Republican candidates leaving voters with no choice for the offices.

ILLINOIS STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

12th State Rep District: Write In candidate Frank Rowder

14th State Rep District: Write-In candidate Paul Minervino

15th State Rep District: Write-In candidate Joseph Hedrick

16th State Rep District: Vincent Romano

20th State Rep District: Michael McAuliffe

22nd State Rep District: Robert Handzik

25th State Rep District: Write-In candidate Juan Diaz

34th State Rep District: Write In Candidate Darnell Macklin

35th State Rep District: Ricardo Fernandez

36th State Rep District: Bob Shelstrom

40th State Rep District: Antoinette "Toni" Puccio-Johnson

55th State Rep District: Susan Sweeney

78th State Rep District: Write In candidate Ralph Vera

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 39th state house districts are uncontested by Republican candidates leaving voters with no choice for the offices.

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS

Harold "Noonie" Ward

Carl Segvich

COOK COUNTY STATES ATTORNEY

Lori Yokoyama

COOK COUNTY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Diane Shapiro

COOK COUNTY RECORDER OF DEEDS

Sherri Griffith

COOK COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW

1st District: Dan Patlak

2nd and 3rd district have no Republican candidates

JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT COURT FIRST

James Gerard Riley

No Republicans are running for Appellate, Circuit or Sub circuit Court vacancies.

Early voting started today and runs through Sat., Nov. 3.

Voters registered in the City of Chicago may use any Early Voting site in the city, regardless of where the voters live.

You don't need reasons or excuses to use Early Voting -- but voters do need to present government-issued photo identification to use Early Voting.

Ballots cast in Early Voting are final. After casting ballots in Early Voting, voters may not return to amend, change or undo ballots for any reasons.  It is a felony to vote more than once -- or to attempt to vote more than once -- in the same election.

All 51 locations will be open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all voters can vote at any of the locations below.

Board of Elections - 69 W. Washington St., Lower Level Conference Room: 9 am-5 pm Monday through Saturday, and on Sundays from 9 am-3 pm

Mayor Emanuel's secretive 2013 budget process has produced a proposal that lacks details for addressing the $300 million budget shortfall and the city's long term fiscal problems.

The Chicago GOP calls upon the City Council to thoroughly vet this budget and push back against pressure from the Mayor to simply rush it into law.

The Mayor's budget does nothing to address the  looming pension crisis and runaway long term employee health care costs. Based on the Mayor's poor performance with the Chicago Teachers Union contract, there is little reason to believe he can win pension concessions from other city unions.

"The Mayor must unveil more details for city taxpayers," said Chicago GOP Chairman Adam Robinson. "This vague budget proposal kicks the can down the road, hoping no one asks hard questions. That is unacceptable."

Hometown, Illinois – October 5, 2012

Rich Grabowski, Republican candidate for the U.S. Congressional seat in Illinois’ 3rd District, has sent a letter to his opponent in the race, Dan Lipinski, challenging him to two debates.

The result of last night's first Presidential debate was immediately clear: Romney won, and won big.

Reading the news this morning, you can see this nearly universal sentiment reflected on the front pages of every newspaper in America.  Romney's outstanding performance - and Obama's dismal one - have now made the October 16th debate an even more critical event on the path to November 6th.