Since Oct. 10 when early, grace-period registration and absentee voting began, 982 people have voted. At this rate of 65 voters per day, we will have another 920 by the cutoff date of Nov. 3 for an estimated total of about 1,900 votes prior to Election Day, Nov. 6. If this pace holds true, the rate of absentee balloting will be significantly lower than in local municipal elections like 2011 when we had more than 3,000 absentee ballots.

Further, we are looking into 26 people who have voted already and we know that their addresses are not up to date because the post office has recently returned mail addressed to them. Out of 7,713 postcards that were mailed out in East St. Louis in late September and early October, 30 percent, or 2,262 of them, were returned as undeliverable.

We believe that the clerks at the East St. Louis Board of Elections are once again looking the other way as greedy, lawless political bosses march the lost and poor in to do the bidding of the party. How else could 26 people with bad addresses get to vote at City Hall?

East St. Louis residents, please join me in voting "yes" to reject the city election law so that together we can create a safe, beautiful, trustworthy American community.

Matt Hawkins

President

Civic Alliance of East St. Louis