• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

10 unusual places to vote this election day

By
Ryan Bradley
Ryan Bradley,
Brett Krasnove
Brett Krasnove, and
Brett Krasnove
Brett Krasnove
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ryan Bradley
Ryan Bradley,
Brett Krasnove
Brett Krasnove, and
Brett Krasnove
Brett Krasnove
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 19, 2012, 5:47 AM ET

Wash, dry, vote

Paul Hansen opened his laundromat, Su Nueva Lavanderia (above), on Marquette Road on Chicago's South Side nine years ago. Not long after that -- he remembers it being just a few weeks -- the district's alderman asked Hansen whether he'd be interested in cordoning off a piece of his 5,000-square-foot store come Election Day so that people in the neighborhood could vote there. It wasn't so much the call of civic duty that made Hansen say yes: "To be honest, I thought it'd just be good to get people into the place." A month passed, and the first Tuesday in November arrived. At 5 a.m., just as the Lavanderia opened, election judges came to set up long plastic tables and five voting booths. Hansen gave up an aisle of dryers that day because, he says, the washers make more money. By 9 p.m., three hours before the laundromat's usual close, the judges finished counting the ballots, folded up the tables, and left. The city paid Hansen $150. Su Nueva Lavanderia has been a voting site ever since and will be again on Nov. 6, as will a bowling alley, a pool hall, a pet-care store, and several car dealerships in the Windy City. Chicago isn't alone. In Philadelphia a skating rink, a barbershop, a bakery, and an auto repair stand in for polling places; in Los Angeles some voters use lifeguard stands. There are rules, of course, as to what sort of commercial establishment may be a polling place. The space must be well lit and wheelchair accessible, it can't serve alcohol, and it can't give away anything of value to voters. James Allen, at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, has a favorite polling place -- Hot Doug's, a hot dog stand on the North Side. "You've got the scent of steaming Vienna beef wafting through," he says. "I bet a few voters get a dog. But this is Chicago, so hold the ketchup."
Italian social club, Philadelphia
Car dealership, Chicago
Funeral home, Chicago
Lawn Lanes, Chicago
Barbershop, Philadelphia
The Mummers Museum, Philadelphia
Internet café, Chicago
Paleteria (Mexican ice cream shop), Chicago
Pressure Billiards, Chicago
About the Authors
By Ryan Bradley
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Brett Krasnove
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Brett Krasnove
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Latest in
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Most Popular
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon
Latest in
trump
CommentaryWhite House
The futility of Trump’s grandiose personal branding of public assets, from ballrooms and bills to ships and planes
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianApril 13, 2026
10 minutes ago
craig piggott
AIAgriculture
After growing up on a dairy farm, this Peter Thiel-backed founder is using AI to save cattle ranching
By Jake AngeloApril 13, 2026
23 minutes ago
Luis Von Ahn points.
Workplace CultureLeadership
‘I’m not going to force you’: Duolingo CEO backs off from evaluating employees on their AI usage 
By Jacqueline MunisApril 13, 2026
46 minutes ago
The most valuable worker in the AI economy is Nurse Dana from ‘The Pitt’
EconomyJobs
The most valuable worker in the AI economy is Nurse Dana from ‘The Pitt’
By Nick LichtenbergApril 13, 2026
56 minutes ago
Julie’s new AI chatbot aims to fix a major gap in women’s health information
NewslettersMPW Daily
Julie’s new AI chatbot aims to fix a major gap in women’s health information
By Emma HinchliffeApril 13, 2026
1 hour ago
Sean Duffy speaks behind a podium. An American flag hangs behind him.
PoliticsAviation
The FAA is recruiting gamers to fix America’s air traffic controller crisis—and offering $155,000 to do it
By Sasha RogelbergApril 13, 2026
1 hour ago
Most Popular
'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
Politics
'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
Economy
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
1 day ago
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
Real Estate
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
1 day ago
Here's how a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could work. 'This is a big task, and it's a big gamble'
Politics
Here's how a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could work. 'This is a big task, and it's a big gamble'
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
1 day ago
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
Real Estate
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago
‘Almost unmanageable’: Raising a child in the U.S. now costs more than $300,000
Economy
‘Almost unmanageable’: Raising a child in the U.S. now costs more than $300,000
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.