Reports of electioneering are cropping up around the city as Chicago prepares to choose a new mayor and treasurer, and 15 wards host runoff elections for alderman. But in the 46th Ward on the north side, incumbent Alderman James Cappleman has put a sweet twist on the age-old practice of trying to entice voters right before they cast their ballots. On Friday, poll watchers began to complain that Cappleman and his allies were dropping off batches of frosted cupcakes decorated with the words “Team Cappleman” at nursing home polling places.
Cappleman’s campaign director Adam Gunther didn’t deny that the alderman had delivered the cupcakes but disagreed that they constituted electioneering. “There’s nothing electioneering about dropping off cupcakes,” he said. “The way I understand it is that James left [the cupcakes] with employees at the front desk. It would only violate a law if it was in exchange for a vote.” (This is an incorrect interpretation of electioneering, Allen confirmed. Campaign activity doesn’t have to rise to the level of vote-buying to qualify as electioneering.)
