There were few reports of disturbances or misconduct at Illinois polling places during Tuesday’s election, according to the attorney general and several Chicago-based election authorities.

“We checked with our people who were visiting precincts in counties throughout the state, and there were no problems of great significance,” said Scott Mulford, a Madigan spokesman.

The Cook County Clerk’s office released a pamphlet this year titled “Keep It Fair,” which also informed voters of their rights and reminded them of the 100-foot campaign-free zone at polling places.

The incident was nothing compared to the 1963 case, in which West Side Ald. Benjamin Lewis won his primary but was found handcuffed and shot at his desk in his Ward office.

Kenneth R. Menzel, a legal counsel for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said that recent elections have similarly been without major incidents.

Voter turnout statewide was under 25 percent, by some accounts.

“Vote early and often,” was the phrase of choice that used to float around the city, often attributed to William "Big Bill" Thompson, an Al Capone-backed mayor of Chicago in the early 20th Century. The phrase referred to the practice of Chicagoans voting multiple times, sometimes using the names of the deceased.

In 1979, three Democratic precinct captains were arrested for threatening to break the legs of two women campaigning on behalf of an independent candidate for the city council.