Friday I went to watch the election process in Woodstock.

Saw my first ballot lock box:

The action was on the second floor of the Administrative Building.

I wanted to take a photo like the one taken by the Rockford Register-Star you see below:

No big deal.

Just wanted to give you some idea of what was happening.

Three judges were comparing signatures on ballot envelopes with those on the Clerk’s electronic record.

So, after the officials checked my credentials, I took a photo of the room.

Then, I stood behind the judges with the hair of the women in the middle hiding the screen.

After I took it and was ready to leave, Judge Liz said she didn’t give permission for taking her photo.

A male watcher who seemed to try to hide when I took a photo from the front of the room objected as well.

He asked who I was with and I told him “McHenry County Blog.”

So, I deleted them and went downstairs, where it turned out the action was moving.

Back in the room I remember as the snack bar, people who had been upstairs gathered.

Then, Joe Tirio went into the room that has been used for election challenges and I followed.

The rest of the crowd decided to come in, too.

I noticed a postal tray full of ballot envelopes on a shelf with 20-30 more on top.

Tirio unlocked ballot drop boxes and judges started putting the envelopes into boxes.

The man who wanted to know who I was upstairs questioned my taking photos of the box and the ballots you see below:

He asked Tirio why I had permission, saying I was looking at the names and had taken pictures of them.

“If I start a blog, can I have permission?” he asked.

“I guess you could,” Tirio replied.

At this point, I saw it was time to drive to Crystal Lake’s Jewel to pick up food to take to The Chapel in McHenry, where, in conjunction with First Church of Crystal Lake, every Friday at 1:30 food is distributed to those who drive in.