Politics

Ballot typo lists Chicago gov candidate as ‘Rich Whitey’

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CHICAGO (AP) – One letter can make a big difference – especially when it comes to a ballot in the Illinois governor’s race.

Election officials in Chicago say Green Party candidate Rich Whitney is listed as Rich “Whitey” on some electronic-voting machines in Chicago.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the misspelling turned up on touch-screen machines in 23 wards and it can’t be corrected by Election Day.

Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen says Whitney’s name is spelled correctly on the machines’ initial screens, which show all of the candidates’ names. But Allen says Whitney is misspelled on review screens that later show a voter his or her choices.

Allen says there isn’t enough time to reprogram and test the machines before Nov. 2.

Whitney says he’s considering legal action because he worries the mistake will impact the vote.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

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