Election Day got off to a rocky start at Ogden Elementary School, 24 W. Walton St., in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, where some voters learned their entire precinct had already cast ballots.

The problem, which only affected voters in the 12th District, stemmed from the site’s electronic voting records, said Max Bever, public information director for the Chicago Board of Elections. Election officials asked voters to go to the nearest voting center if they could not wait in line or to return before polls closed at 7 p.m.

An election official on site told WBEZ shortly before 9 a.m. that the issue had been resolved and everything was now running smoothly.

James Cohoon, who lives on the Gold Coast, arrived in Ogden at 6 a.m. to vote. When he arrived, Cohoon said poll workers told residents in the 12th District that everyone in that district had already voted.

“And obviously we didn’t,” Cohoon said.

After a few hours – and without a clear explanation – Cohoon and others were able to vote. Cohoon ended up waiting in line for almost three hours.

“Two hours and 45 minutes is ridiculous. It’s sad. It’s almost like you lose your voice,” Cohoon said.

Cohoon was able to wait out the inconvenience, but said he saw other people leaving before they could vote and added that some elderly voters were looking for a place to sit.

“Because of this long period of waiting and frustration, unfortunately there are people who are leaving, they are losing their vote, they are losing their voice,” Cohoon said.