For the latest updates, click here for Wednesday’s live blog.
Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx beat Republican challenger Pat O’Brien on Tuesday night, winning four more years to continue enacting her criminal justice reform agenda.
O’Brien told supporters at a Niles event center just after 10:30 p.m. that he’d called Foxx to congratulate her on her win following a contest that focused on whether the incumbent had made needed changes to a broken system or fueled crime.
Meanwhile, the fate of the “yes or no” graduated income tax amendment might remain unknown for days or weeks as late-arriving mail-in votes continue to be counted. That’s because there are two ways the proposal can pass: It needs either 60% support among those voting directly on the question or more than 50% support of those voting in the election.
Also late on Tuesday, first-term Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Naperville, was in a virtual tie with Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis, the dairy magnate from Sugar Grove, in the far northern, western and southwestern suburban 14th Congressional District. With 82% of precincts reporting, and many early and mail-in ballots not yet tallied, they each had about 50% of the vote.
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Editor’s note: What to expect on Election Day, and beyond
The Associated Press will declare winners in some 7,000 races. Here’s how the AP counts votes and calls races.
Here are the latest election updates from across the Chicago area and Illinois:
11:55 p.m.: Referendum that would have closed late-night Tai’s Til 4 fails in Chicago’s 44th Ward
Longtime late night Chicago bar Tai’s Til 4 will get to keep the party going until 4 a.m. in the Lakeview neighborhood, after an effort by neighbors to vote the precinct dry failed Tuesday by a wide margin.
A referendum to outlaw the takeaway sale of drinks with an alcohol content above 4% in the precinct west of Wrigleyville failed 63% to 37%, according to the Chicago Board of Elections unofficial vote totals.
Had it passed, it would have effectively shuttered Tai’s, which has been open near the corner of Ashland Avenue and Addison Street since 1961, since nearly all beer and liquor have alcohol by volume that exceeds the 4% threshold.
A letter sent to registered voters in the precinct by supporters of the referendum who wanted the bar closed pointed to a February shooting outside Tai’s as merely the latest trouble there.
But Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, sent his own letter to residents urging them to vote against the referendum.
Read more here. —John Byrne
11:53 p.m.: Marijuana ballot measures ahead in several Chicago suburbs including Wilmette, Park Ridge, Batavia and Elk Grove; Western Springs seems to rejects bid
Below the presidential and congressional races, down past the proposed graduated income tax amendment, many voters across the Chicago region also faced various other referendum questions on their general election ballots.
There were the perennial requests from taxing agencies to, well, issue new taxes or raise new revenue — often in the form of bond sales — as well as various proposals to change the formats of local governments. There were some curious nonbinding referendums, such as DuPage County voters being asked if the county should continue to consider support of law enforcement its top budgeting priority.
But nearly a year after recreational cannabis was legalized in Illinois, marijuana continues to be a major ballot-box issue, with voters in several suburbs asked to consider whether allowing sales in their communities.
Here’s a look at some of the referendum highlights, with all vote tallies unofficial. —Madeline Buckley and Robert McCoppin
11:51 p.m.: Illinois graduated income tax amendment runs into resistance in big bucks battle of billionaires Pritzker, Griffin
Illinois voters on Tuesday got their say on a far-reaching ballot question about the future of the state income tax following millions of dollars in TV ads bankrolled by battling billionaires Gov. J.B. Pritzker and hedge fund owner Ken Griffin.
More than $124 million was raised by groups for and against a proposed change to the Illinois Constitution that would switch the state from a flat-rate income tax to a graduated-rate system in which taxes would increase as income rises.
After all that, the fate of the “yes or no” referendum might remain unknown for days or weeks as late-arriving mail-in votes continue to be counted. That’s because there are two ways the proposal can pass: It needs either 60% support among those voting directly on the question or more than 50% support of those voting in the election.
As for the first pathway, the amendment was falling far short of the 60% benchmark. The question had 45.9% support among those voting directly on the amendment. Another 54% voted against the question with nearly three-quarters of the state’s precincts reporting. All totals are unofficial.
Read more here. —Rick Pearson
11:45 p.m.: Speaker Madigan dealt blow as Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice concedes defeat in retention bid
Illinois House Speaker was dealt a blow Tuesday as Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride conceded defeat following a record-smashing, big-dollar fight against a pair of billionaires who wanted to unseat him.
“Though votes continue to be counted, I am disappointed in the apparent outcome. I want to thank the voters of the Third Judicial District for twice placing their faith in me to uphold the sacred principles that guide our judicial system,” Kilbride said in a statement. “Serving on the Illinois Supreme Court has been the honor and privilege of my lifetime, and I am proud of the legacy I will leave behind, including a court that is more open, transparent and accessible to all, regardless of economic means.”
Kilbride, 67, of Rock Island, needed 60% of voters to approve his retention and give him a rare third, 10-year term. Justices running for retention do not face an opponent.
But Kilbride only had 55.3% support with 96% of precincts counted, according to unofficial totals late Tuesday.
The anti-Kilbride group claimed victory. “This unprecedented outcome sends an unmistakable message that Illinoisans want an independent judiciary with no ties to Mike Madigan,” said Jim Nowlan, the group’s chairman, in a statement.
Read more here. —Ray Long
11:32 p.m.: Freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in tight race with Republican Jim Oberweis; Rep. Sean Casten holding on to lead over Jeanne Ives
The closely watched campaigns for a pair of suburban congressional districts were tightly contested Tuesday night, with one race a dead heat and another close, with many early votes and mail-in ballots still to be counted.
Voters are deciding representation in each of the state’s 18 congressional districts.
First-term Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Naperville, was in a virtual tie with Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis, the dairy magnate from Sugar Grove, in the far northern, western and southwestern suburban 14th Congressional District. With 82% of precincts reporting, and many early and mail-in ballots not yet tallied, Oberweis had a slight edge in votes but each candidate each had about 50% of the vote.
“While we don’t have our results yet, I’m pumped,” Underwood said late Tuesday during a virtual campaign event.
Underwood has been focusing on the coronavirus pandemic and health care issues during her reelection campaign. Oberweis, who previously ran unsuccessfully for governor, U.S. senator and U.S. representative, has been highlighting his conservative, small government credentials.
In 2018, Underwood flipped the district, which had been Republican for a decade, in the process becoming the youngest Black woman elected to Congress and helping Democrats take control of the U.S. House.
In the west and northwestern suburban 6th District, Rep. Sean Casten, another freshman Democrat, was facing Republican Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, who nearly knocked off then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Illinois Republican primary two years ago. With 47% of precincts reporting, Casten had 52%, Ives 46% and Libertarian Bill Redpath less than 2%, according to unofficial results.
Read more here. —Patrick M. O’Connell, Jamie Munks and John Byrne
11:15 p.m.: Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx fends off Republican former Judge Pat O’Brien
Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx beat Republican challenger Pat O’Brien on Tuesday night, winning four more years to continue enacting her criminal justice reform agenda.
O’Brien told supporters at a Niles event center just after 10:30 p.m. that he’d called Foxx to congratulate her on her win following a contest that focused on whether the incumbent had made needed changes to a broken system or fueled crime.
“Hopefully, the next four years will find us in a better position than we are now. All I can say is we gave it our best shot,” he said.
In unofficial totals, Foxx had 53% to O’Brien’s approximately 40% with nearly 95% of precincts reporting as of 10:45 p.m. Libertarian candidate Brian Dennehy had garnered about 7%.
Foxx’s lead was based on her support in Chicago, where unofficial totals showed she had hauled in nearly 500,000 votes to O’Brien’s roughly 245,000 with 90% of precincts reporting.
Read more here. —Dan Hinkel and Alice Yin
10:58 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley claims victory in 5th Congressional District race
Congressman Mike Quigley, a Democrat who represents the 5th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives, claimed an election victory as results came in Tuesday evening. Unofficial vote totals show him leading with 70.1% percent of the vote, with 89% of votes counted, according to data from both the Cook County Clerk’s office and Chicago Board of Elections.
Quigley has served as representative since 2009, in a district that covers North and Northwest Side neighborhoods in Chicago and west suburban towns in Cook County. In Tuesday’s election, he was challenged by Tommy Hanson, a Republican, and Thomas Wilda of the Green Party.
Read more here. —Anna Kim
10:45 p.m.: Judge Michael Toomin, who presided over high-profile cases from Jussie Smollett to Jeff Fort, in a close fight for his seat
Early unofficial results indicate that Cook County Judge Michael Toomin is in a close fight to keep his spot on the bench, after a shunning from the county Democratic Party and a widespread campaign among juvenile-justice activists painting him as dangerously out of touch.
With nearly 91% of precincts reporting Tuesday night, about 62% of voters opted to retain Toomin. Judges need 60% of the vote to win retention.
That means the longtime jurist, who has been presiding over the court’s juvenile division for a decade, could maintain a hold on his seat.
But given the loud and lengthy complaints by juvenile-justice advocates about his leadership of juvenile court, he could yet be reassigned elsewhere.
Read more here. —Megan Crepeau
9:55 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky claims victory in race for 9th District seat
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky claimed victory Tuesday night in the race to hold onto her 9th District seat, as unofficial totals showed her with a sizable edge over Republican challenger Sargis Sangari.
With 73% of precincts reporting, Schakowsky had garnered 68.3% of the vote to Sargis’ 31.7%, according to unofficial results.
A victory would give the Evanston Democrat her 12th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was first elected in 1988.
“I don’t think there really are any safe seats anymore, so I’m really grateful to the people, the voters of the 9th Electoral District, who reelected me,” Schakowsky said.
This is the second time that Sangari, from Skokie, has challenged Schakowsky. He was the Republican nominee for the 9th District in 2018.
“All you can do is run and see how the numbers turn out,” Sangari said on Tuesday night. “I ran where my community has placed their flag and where I have my residence.”
Read more here. —Genevieve Bookwalter
9:22 p.m.: Judicial candidate Jill Rose Quinn declares victory in her race to become Cook County judge, which would make her the state’s first elected transgender official
Jill Rose Quinn declared victory Tuesday night after running unopposed to fill a Cook County judicial vacancy on her way to becoming Illinois’ first openly transgender candidate elected to public office.
Quinn said she’s “grateful to the people of Cook County who are having an open mind to elect me.”
“It’s a win for inclusion. It’s a win for all the kids in the world who were bullied, who feel like they don’t fit in, who don’t think anybody will ever accept them and I can be a beacon for those kids,” Quinn said. “Just like I stand on the shoulders of the people that have gone before me, these kids can stand on my shoulders, and I am so willing to support them and hold them up when it’s their turn.”
Quinn secured the Cook County Democratic Party’s endorsement to fill a judicial seat earlier this year and earned key support from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Annise Parker, president & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said Quinn’s victory marked a “transformative moment” for Illinois.
Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
9:16 p.m.: Group listens to speakers in federal plaza
9:07 p.m.: Voters approve of Fauci over Pritzker and Trump: AP survey of Illinois voters
Illinois voters give higher marks to Gov. J.B. Pritzker than President Donald Trump on how each has handled the pandemic, but the nation’s top infectious disease doctor beats them both, according to a survey of voters conducted by The Associated Press.
The survey found 60% of Illinois voters approve of Pritzker’s handling of the pandemic, compared with 36% for Trump. Those results closely hewed to the party affiliation reported of those surveyed: 57% Democrats or leaning toward that party, 38% Republicans or leaning toward that party, and 5% independents.
But breaking that mold was Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has served under six presidents. Three-fourths of Illinoisans approved of his response, which roughly hews to a September Kaiser Family Foundation poll showing 68% of Americans had a great deal or fair amount of trust in him.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
7:46 p.m.: With heavy early voting, few crowds or lines as polls close
“Seven o’clock, make sure there’s nobody in line,” said precinct captain Jerome Orzech, walking out of the polling place at Mount Greenwood Elementary and poking his head outside.
There was no line. It had been slow for a while, and election workers had already started to pack up.
John Ryan, 34, had finished voting minutes before and waited for his wife to fill out her ballot. Ryan, who voted for a third party candidate four years ago, said he voted for Trump this time. Though Ryan hasn’t been impressed with the president’s coronavirus response, he based his choice on the two issues most important to him: abortion and the economy.
“I grew up in a pro-life family. That’s an important issue to me,” Ryan said. And he said that as a working man, he appreciated the low unemployment rate before the pandemic.
Yet Ryan said he won’t be terribly upset with either outcome, and what he felt most strongly about Tuesday was taking part in the political process.
“It was a tossup,” Ryan said. “I like Biden and have respect for Harris, but supporting them would be going against my conscience.”
Ryan said he thought Trump cleaned up his act and seemed more respectable after coming off like a bully in the first debate.
Ryan said he didn’t usually vote at the last minute, but with three young children at home and a full-time job as an account manager at a manufacturing facility, that’s how it turned out this election.
He didn’t vote a straight Republican ballot, choosing Democrat Dick Durbin for senator and saying yes to the fair tax.
“I do believe there should be equal opportunity in those areas,” Ryan said, adding that people who work hard to succeed can still be rewarded while those who are less financially successful are taxed at lower rates.
Among the three precincts voting at the Mount Greenwood school, election workers reported more than 600 voters on Election Day.
Orzech said in his 20 years as a precinct captain, this year struck him for having especially low turnout on Election Day. Tuesday turnout in his precinct was about half of what it is some years, he said. But at least 40% of his precinct had voted early or by mail as of Monday, including himself, Orzech said.
“Early voting took all the people away from us,” he said.
In choosing a president, Orzech said the issues most important to him were “the economy, Covid, the future of my children.”
Orzech said he believes voting is truly an individual decision that people are entitled to keep to themselves, and he didn’t even tell his wife who he voted for. But if you don’t vote, and you don’t like the outcome, “don’t complain,” he said.
—Hannah Leone
7:15 p.m.: COVID-19 doesn’t slow poll workers, young or old
In the Pilsen area, most precincts didn’t have a line, but the influx of voters was constant at Lincoln United Methodist Church, said John McCartney.
McCartney, 89, said he has served as an election judge for 13 years at the same precinct.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to participate again because he believes “it’s worth it.”
“I think mail-in ballots are going to cause a lot of problems because the postal office has had issues even when there was no pandemic happening. I just hope for the best,” McCartney said.
Unlike other years, some of the younger election judges were in charge of keeping the polling place sanitized.
Melanie Perez, 17, was one of the judges that spent her day cleaning the area and making sure voters took their “I voted” sticker.
She said she is glad she was able to be a part of this year’s presidential election because it will be a historic one.
Dora Flores, 65, had been wiping each voting booth after people voted since the polling place opened at 6 am.
She said she wasn’t concerned about her health because she is a “healthy person.”
Howard Harris said he felt more comfortable after seeing the election judges constantly disinfecting different items in the polling place.
Harris wasn’t planning to vote until this morning.
“I didn’t feel any special way about any of the candidates,” he said, “But I decided that it was important to vote, mainly for my community.”
—Laura Rodriguez Presa
7:12 p.m.: AP: Durbin wins Illinois U.S. Senate reelection as polls close
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin won reelection to a fifth term on Tuesday, continuing a pattern of Democratic dominance in the state, according to the Associated Press.
More than 3.5 million people cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.
Durbin is the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. The candidates vying to replace him in Illinois’ only statewide race were Republican former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran; wealthy Chicago businessman Willie Wilson, running under his own party; Green Party candidate David Black; and Libertarian Danny Malouf.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7 p.m.: Wabash Ave bridge is up in front of Trump Tower
6:53 p.m.: Coronavirus pandemic not at all under control: AP survey of Illinois voters
Most Illinois voters said they think the coronavirus pandemic is not at all under control in this country, according to a survey of voters conducted by The Associated Press. In addition, the majority of Illinois respondents said they disapproved of how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic.
The pandemic has killed 9,878 Illinoisans and more than 230,000 people across the country. The AP VoteCast survey found Illinoisans were slightly more likely than the national average to believe the pandemic was not under control.
The survey also found an overwhelming majority of Illinois voters said they considered the pandemic an important factor in the presidential race, with more than 4 in 10 saying it was the single most important factor.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
6:30 p.m.: Holcomb wins reelection as Indiana governor: AP
Republicans won continued control of the Indiana governor’s office as voters cast the final ballots Tuesday, although Democrats had some chances to claw back to greater political relevance in the state.
Gov. Eric Holcomb won reelection and President Donald Trump appeared likely to also win the state. Democrats, meanwhile, concentrated their fall campaigns on capturing the state attorney general’s office and a central Indiana congressional seat that’s competitive after decades as a GOP bastion.
A record number of more than 1.7 million voters cast ballots ahead of Election Day as coronavirus health concerns prompted more use of mail-in ballots and early voting sites.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:15 p.m.: Tales of voters who went to the polls: ‘It’s a special honor to be able to make a difference’
Elisa Pozywio said she typically likes coming to vote on Election Day instead of early voting because the day is filled with excitement and the lines are shorter, and with two kids in a stroller, the shorter the better.
Pozywio said she has voted every year since she turned 18, but this year felt different than others.
“This year definitely felt even more important,” Pozywio said. “I think just with the climate that the world is in right now, every vote really matters. It’s a special honor to be able to make a difference.”
A first-time voter, Sydney, who declined to give a last name, said voting for the first time Tuesday was exciting for her, noting that her vote was “definitely fueled by hatred.”
“I was coming out specifically for women’s rights,” Sydney said. “When it comes down to contraceptives, abortion and I wanted the transparency in wage gaps again, which is huge for me … I basically focused this one on us.”
Read more here. —Post-Tribune staff
6:10 p.m.: City votes cast: More than a million by 4:30 p.m, with 25- to 34-year-olds leading the pack
By 4:30 p.m., more than 1 million people in Chicago had returned mail-in ballots, voted early or cast their ballots at the polls, a trend that portends an overall turnout of more than 70%, said Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
“We are in really good shape to top 1.1 million,” Allen said, before going on to note that some mail-in ballots would not be counted by the end of the night because they were still in the process of being scanned. Of about 420,000 ballots that had been verified, 278,000 will be counted this evening and the rest in ensuing days, Allen said. Those numbers don’t include any mail-in ballots received Tuesday or in coming days. If mail-in ballots are postmarked by Tuesday they are counted.
Overall turnout was highest among 25- to 34-year-old voters, who had cast 191,000 ballots, followed by people aged 35 to 44, who had cast 168,000 ballots, Allen said.
—Hal Dardick
5:52 p.m.: ‘Doing my part as a citizen’
Outside Brighton Park Elementary, first-time election judge Joe Calva took an afternoon smoke break in his 12th hour on the job.
Calva, who arrived 15 minutes before polls opened at 5 a.m., estimated about 200 people had voted at the school Tuesday, without significant problems. He said he wanted to try judging to help out and had enjoyed watching and learning about the process. But with two hours until polls closed, Calva, of Cicero, still wasn’t sure if he would vote himself.
“I focus on helping more than voting,” Calva said.
Voter Cristian De La Torre, 20, recently moved to Brighton Park from Pilsen and was a little worried when he was sent home on his first attempt to vote. But he returned with an internet bill and check showing his new address and was given a ballot.
“It felt great, like I was doing my part as a citizen and a person of the people,” De La Torre said.
He voted for Biden. He said it was an easy decision because he believed Biden was clearly the better candidate, but he thought there were better Democratic candidates and had voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. He also voted yes to the fair tax. “It seemed like it was best for my family and families like mine,” De La Torre said.
De La Torre’s friends and family have been affected by COVID-19, and he said it’s important to him that the president takes it seriously. De La Torre lost his job as a cook at a West Loop restaurant that closed during the pandemic and found work at a nearby factory.
Voter turnout for his age range hasn’t been looking good, De La Torre said.
“I really hope that young people get out there and do their part,” he said.
—Hannah Leone
5 p.m.: Voters at the United Center relish its 1st time as a polling site — and grab a selfie with the Michael Jordan statue
Decked out in a red Chicago Bulls cap and a No. 23 black hoodie, Devon Dobbs eagerly cast his vote Tuesday at the United Center.
Like hundreds of others, he showed up for democracy and stayed for the selfie.
Hopeful his vote for Democrat Joe Biden would help end divisive politics under President Donald Trump, Dobbs relished the idea of playing a part in American politics in the famed home of the Bulls and Blackhawks.
“That was another thing that drew me out here,” he said. “You get to take a picture with the Michael Jordan statue afterward. That’s real memorabilia.”
For the first time in its 26-year history, the United Center was used an Election Day voting super site where Chicagoans could register to vote, drop off mail-in ballots or vote in person. It was one of 23 NBA arenas converted into polling sites for the election.
Voters waited about 20 minutes outside the arena’s south atrium entrance. Free snacks were handed out in bags and a food truck was stationed near the line. Parking was free and COVID-19 safety protocols were implemented.
Some danced to house music as they waited.
After they cast their ballots, many voters had one more important task to complete: Get a selfie with the 12-foot bronze Jordan statue that was adorned with a mask on Tuesday.
“It’s like the new ‘I Voted’ sticker,” said Joseph Rocha, 24.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
4:56 p.m.: Sprinklers went off at polling place
A polling place in the 1st Ward was closed and moved because a sprinkler system went off there.
The sprinkler went off at James Otis Elementary School, 525 N. Armour St., which is in the 37th precinct, said Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
“That required us to shut that place down,” Allen said. “It was a lot of water.”
The voting site was moved to the Goldblatt Building on the 1600 block of West Chicago Avenue.
“We don’t think there were damaged . . . ballots,” Allen said. “We should be in good shape there.”
—Hal Dardick
4:51 p.m.: Nearly a million votes cast by 4 p.m. in suburban Cook County
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 157,000 voters had cast ballots in person at suburban Cook County polling locations, bringing the total number of ballots submitted to just under 1 million, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
That’s about 60% turnout for all registered voters, said Deputy Clerk of Elections Edmund Michalowski. The county expects at least 100,000 additional voters to participate before polls close tonight, he said.
“We’re also anticipating that the mail ballots that are coming in will continue to come in,” he said. “There is a significant amount of mail ballots that have yet to be received.”
Overall turnout seems to be on par with other presidential elections, Michalowksi said, but it could exceed the 72% seen in in 2016. Registered voters in 2020 increased by about 10%, he said.
Seventeen precincts will remain open until 8 p.m. because they got started late this morning, Michalowksi said. That number is typical compared to other years, he said.
“We did that out of the abundance of caution to make sure everyone feels they have the right and the opportunity to vote,” he said.
—Elyssa Cherney
4:47 p.m.: Millennial wanted to show that her generation votes
After weeks of long lines and what felt like streams of voters swinging through the school doors of Inter-American Elementary Magnet School, Vito Cifaldi finally had a moment to breathe by 2 p.m. Tuesday.
“There haven’t been lines today but every other day we come in at 8 a.m and this place is packed,” he said.
Cifaldi, who said he has been an election judge for 28 years, said the North Side site received an outpouring of early voters. “It was the most I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Normally we get 20-40 voters on our first day of early voting, but we got over 500 voters.”
Inside, pumps of hand sanitizer were stationed around the room and masked voters were spaced six feet apart. A steady stream of voters came in, with waits that averaged less than 10 minutes.
Among them was Megan Wood, 23, who said she felt the need to show up because of criticism millennials face over low voter turnout.
“Things are changing, I feel like all my friends were telling each other we have to vote and show up,” she said.
Outside of the school, cousins Haley March, 25, and Sam March, 30, of Lakeview set up a six-foot long table with snacks, hand sanitizer and extra face masks for voters.
The pair said they had been offering snacks around nearby Lakeview voting locations since 7 a.m. with their dog, Mowgli, a 5-year-old cockapoo, who accepted pats from voters with sanitized hands.
“We’re trying to get all those with the privilege to vote, voting,” Haley March said.
“He loves democracy,” Sam March said.
—Jessica Villagomez
4:14 p.m.: Voters feel weight of historic election. ‘One vote can make a difference.’
Some people casting ballots Tuesday in the south and southwest suburbs said it was their civic duty to vote.
“I live in a democracy,” Nancy Ermel said as she exited a polling place at the Orland Township building in Orland Park. “I was a social studies teacher.”
Others spoke about community and heritage.
“Our ancestors fought for this right,” said Kennedy Fisher, 23, of Matteson, as she left the Rich Township Precinct 1 polling place at Marya Yates Elementary School. “It would be selfish for me to not vote.”
Some said they were voting for change. Others said they wanted to participate in an election that was historic. Record numbers of votes were cast early, by mail and in person, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more here. —Ted Slowik
4:10 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot confronts activist in defense of Cook County Judge Toomin
Mayor Lori Lightfoot mixed it up with an activist outside a Far North Side polling place over Cook County Judge Michael Toomin, accusing the woman of having her facts wrong and tossing in a shot at the Chicago Teachers Union.
Toomin’s re-election is opposed by the Cook County Democratic Party and its chair, Toni Preckwinkle.
Party leaders are critical of Toomin’s stances on juvenile justice, though some suspect they’re trying to remove him as payback for appointing a special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett scandal, which harmed Preckwinkle ally Kim Foxx in her re-election bid as state’s attorney.
In a video posted on Twitter by teachers union activist Mary Difino, Lightfoot approaches Difino after she criticizes Toomin.
“I’m happy to endorse Judge Toomin because he’s a good judge,” Lightfoot says.
Lightfoot then repeatedly steps toward Difino and says, “You’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got them wrong.” Two members of Lightfoot’s security detail then step between Lightfoot and the activist as the mayor jabs her finger toward Difino and adds, “Your teachers union is wrong about that.”
—Gregory Pratt
3:53 p.m.: ‘Things are not OK in our country’
Francisca Aviles, 65, recovered from COVID-19 just two weeks ago, she said. She spent a couple of weeks in the hospital, and even though she still doesn’t feel “too strong,” she made her way Tuesday to Precinct 22 in Little Village.
Wearing her winter jacket, gloves and a face mask, Aviles slowly approached election officials for guidance upon arriving because she doesn’t know much English.
“But I needed to come because things are not OK in our country,” she said. “I couldn’t be at peace sitting at home, I had to come vote.”
This is the second time Aviles, a mother of five and grandmother to more than 10 children, has voted in a presidential election.
She relies on the election judges to serve as translators, she said. Tuesday, it was 18-year-old Raul Guzmán who stood by her side through every step, answering her questions.
Guzmán said that when he applied to be a judge, he specifically wanted to help those who didn’t know the language or can’t read.
“It’s a huge responsibility, it feels good to help others,” he said.
Aviles said that if it wasn’t for Guzman, she wouldn’t have been able to exercise her right to vote.
“We’re in this together,” she said in Spanish.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa
3:41 p.m.: Pritzker urges local police and sheriffs to quickly disperse large election night parties
Gov. J.B. Pritzker urged local police and sheriffs to quickly disperse large election night parties, cautioning that lax enforcement could lead to new surge COVID-19 infections.
The Chicago Democrat singled out bar and restaurant owners who refuse to comply with state efforts to bend the latest spike in positive tests for the virus. He also condemned municipal leaders who are egging on scofflaws.
“Local officials, local law enforcement should be standing up and enforcing the rules in this state,” Pritzker said during his daily pandemic briefing. “Because weeks from now, when people end up going to the hospital as a result of these gatherings … those local officials and people who live in those areas will be coming to the state to ask us what are we going to add hospital space when the hospitals are full.”
“It’s these local officials,” Pritzker continued. “If they don’t do their job, then we’re going to end up with hospitals having to turn people away. That is just not something that I find acceptable.”
—Michael Hawthorne
3:33 p.m.: Cry of ‘first-time voter!’ brings applause
De’Ainese Merrells and De’Avion Williams emerged from the Jeffrey Manor Library in the South Deering neighborhood with “I voted” stickers pressed against their jackets.
It was a special occasion for Merrells, who got to vote alongside her 19-year-old daughter, who was voting for the first time.
Williams, 19, said she was glad she could vote in an election she considers important.”She knew what was at stake,” Merrells said about her daughter.
The news of a first-time voter added a jolt of energy to the election workers tucked inside a room at the Jeffrey Manor Library.
“First-time voter!” an election judge yelled as she and her colleagues applauded.
“It was exciting,” Williams said.
—Javonte Anderson
3:04 p.m.: City voter turnout could hit 75%
Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen said that as of 2:30 p.m., slightly more than 1 million city voters had either mailed-in ballots, voted early or hit the polls on Election Day, for a turnout so far of nearly 63%.
Voting slowed midday to about 20,000 an hour from about 30,000 an hour in the morning. “It’s definitely not a lunch crowd,” he said.
Nevertheless, Allen still expected a percentage turnout in the mid-70s before the day was out.
He noted that turnout so far was greatest among 25- to 34-year-old people, when typically senior citizens turn out in greater numbers. In that 25-34 age group, about 222,000 people had voted so far. The age group in second place was 35-44-year-old people, about 182,000 of whom had voted so far.
He also addressed concerns about Sharpie pen ink bleeding through some ballots, saying it wouldn’t affect the ability to count those ballots. “It’s more of a visual issue for the voter,” he said. “A bleed through on side A won’t affect any selections on side B.”
“It wasn’t a huge problem,” he added. “It was just a scattered issue rising here and there across the city. It wasn’t pervasive.”
He also addressed reports that a voter struck a judge at a polling place at 1333 N. Cleveland Ave. and that there was something of a fracus at another location on the 7700 block of South Burnham Ave.
On Cleveland, an investigator went in “to mediate,” Allen said. “The report was that it was resolved by the investigator. It was a disagreement between the voter and the election judge over who was in the wrong.”
On Burnham, “the people were calmed down and everything went back to normal.”
“These are tensions you want to avoid, you hope don’t happen, but certainly in a population of 1.5 million voters, you might have a couple of disagreements or misunderstandings,” Allen added. “But this has been a very calm, mellow election by any measures.”
—Hal Dardick
2:44 p.m.: Voter thought his vote wouldn’t make a difference — until last night
Precinct 22 in Chicago’s Little Village has been “noticeably busier than in 2016,” said Vilma Juarez, who has served as an election judge at John Spry School for the past three presidential elections.
Rafael Camarillo, 19, and his sister Jessica Camarillo, 24, were two of the voters. They both graduated from Spry, so “returning back to vote is significant,” Jessica Camarillo said.
Rafael Camarillo admitted that he wasn’t sure about voting today because he “thought it wouldn’t make a difference.” But a conversion with their mother changed his mind last night, he said.
“I realized how much her life depends on this, this is the least I can do, come here to make her voice be heard,” he said.
Jessica Camarillo said their mother is in the process of becoming a resident but it has been long and difficult. “It’s not as easy as others think,” she said.
“People’s decision to vote, or not, directly affects my immigrant family.”
—Laura Rodríguez Presa
2:27 p.m.: After early voting surge, polling places in Park Ridge and Niles are quiet by comparison on Election Day
After two weeks of heavy early voting, Park Ridge and Niles polling places were largely quiet by comparison on election day Tuesday.
Poll watches and election judges at several polling places noted that while voters were coming in Tuesday morning, the long lines experienced at early voting sites in both communities were a thing of the past.
According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, 8,812 people voted at Park Ridge City Hall and 7,826 people voted at Niles Village Hall between Oct. 19 and Nov. 2.Countywide, 409,393 people voted early, according to the clerk’s office.
Predicting that crowds would be low, Mike Bailey said he decided to wait to cast his vote on Election Day.
“I figured everybody thought early voting would be easier than Election Day, but I knew it was going to be the opposite,” he said as he left his polling place at the Feldman Recreation Center in Niles.
“We’re just seeing a lot of positive turnout. Everyone is really excited,” said Pedro Pajares, an election judge at the Feldman Center. “We had several new voter registrations as well.”
Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
2:26 p.m.: 1st-time voter goes to United Center; Harris appeals to 58-year-old voter as a voice of reason
First-time voter
Shareef Robinson, 19, never considered voting until lately. He showed up at the United Center on Tuesday morning after a change of heart — and mind.
“I was under the impression voting didn’t matter,” he said shortly after casting his first presidential ballot, giving his vote to Joe Biden. “I initially wasn’t planning on it. But I saw a lot of things, people encouraging voting. My mom was on me a lot about it. (I started) learning about things, fixing my ignorance. I did some more research and learned more.”
Biden appealed to Robinson, mostly as a matter of character.”In my opinion, both of them aren’t the best candidates,” he said. “But Joe Biden has an edge because he puts more interest in the people, in regular people, than Donald Trump.”
Robinson worried about social distancing at polling sites but said he felt “comfortable” with the United Centers’ spaciousness and quick line — he waited only about 15 minutes.
Harris supporter
Myrna Montgomery, 58, compared Joe Biden and Donald Trump to rival cartoon characters.
She said Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, appealed to her as a voice of reason.
“I did vote because of Kamala Harris,” said Montgomery, who said she isn’t affiliated with either major political party. “I thought about Popeye’s girlfriend (Olive Oyl). Popeye and Bluto are always fighting. She said if she was president, the women could do what they want. I knew Kamala Harris has history behind her as well. I’m neutral but that’s the reason I voted.”
—Shannon Ryan
2:05 p.m.: Conflicted Republican votes at Lake View High School as Democratic ‘cheat sheet’ made available just past polling place electioneering line
Dona DiCaro, 55, said she has never been more conflicted about her vote than she was this year.
Moments after stepping out of her precinct polling place at Lake View High School, 4015 N. Ashland Ave. in the 47th Ward, she said her anxiety about this election has been at an all-time high. She typically votes Republican, but said she swung her vote this year in some races.
DiCaro has in the past voted for conservative candidates because of issues relating to the distribution of funds, taxes and big versus small businesses. But President Donald Trump has redefined what it means to be a Republican, she said.
“Just because you have a few conservative feelings doesn’t mean you’re a racist pig,” she said. “But it’s turned into that. In my heart, that’s not what it’s about.”
She cast her vote in person on Election Day because it’s a tradition for her. The school, which had a box containing a Democratic “cheat sheet” ballot just outside its electioneering bubble, had no lines or wait time for the few voters casting their ballot there Tuesday around noon.
Heading into the night and days ahead, DiCaro said she hopes protests are peaceful no matter who wins the election.
“We are all in this together as Americans and nothing breaks my heart more than seeing violence begetting violence. It’s heartbreaking. No one wins in that situation.”
—Kelli Smith
1:20 p.m.: Politically divided couple walk together to ballot drop box
Austin Rodger, 23, and Michelina Ban, 22, walked together to the drop box outside Wrigley Field, where Ban submitted her ballot for Joe Biden — and where a few days earlier Rodger dropped off his ballot for Trump.
The Gold Coast couple, both wearing masks, talk openly about their political differences and planned to watch election results together Tuesday night.
With cocktails.
Rodger said he perceives Trump as better for small businesses and the economy. Ban said she believes voting for Biden is better for social reforms.”
No matter what, this won’t change us,” Rodger said of their relationship.
—Shannon Ryan
1:11 p.m.: Voters in North Shore communities find plenty of reasons to head to the polls on Election Day
Voters across the north suburbs, some with young family members in tow, headed to their local polling places Tuesday in what by all accounts is an election unlike any other in recent times. As local communities are still dealing with the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, voters put on their face masks to cast ballots in a presidential election that has already seen record high turnout in many areas of the country.
Elliot Miller, 67, of Northbrook, said he was the 23rd person to vote at the Northbrook Sports Complex, 1730 Pfingsten Road, Tuesday morning. Miller said he headed out to cast his ballot in person rather than doing it early or by mail, because he thinks Election Day is special and should be a national holiday.
“I believe Election Day is Election Day,” he said. “I can remember being in grade school on Election Day, and you saw people come and vote.”
Standing beneath a cloudless blue sky outside the polling place at Winnetka Presbyterian Church, 1255 Willow Road, Tuesday morning, Jeanie Frye followed both COVID-19 social distance guidelines, and the legally required space needed to volunteer on behalf of the New Trier Democrats.
“This is such a critical election, and a critical time for our country” said Frye, who said she supports Biden.Frye said Biden is the best candidate to address her top concern, climate change, and is also the candidate best-suited to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.”I feel like if Biden is elected, my hope is, we’ll get through this a lot more quickly in the unforeseen future,” Frye said.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta, Kaitlin Edquist and Genevieve Bookwalter
12:46 p.m.: 80-year-old votes straight Republican ticket: ‘We need order’
Grace Krasno, 80, said she has voted in every election since 1971 after emigrating to the United States.
As is her habit, she voted a straight Republican ticket at the polling place at Avante Banquets, 1050 Northwest Highway in Fox River Grove.
“We came from social communist country,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to that.”
Her daughter Lucy Ana Krasno said they voted for Trump to oppose abortion, boost the economy and restore order.
“It’s been crazy, especially with the coronavirus and all the looting and disruption. We need order,” she said.
—Robert McCoppin
12:35 p.m.: Voting breaking records in DuPage, Will counties
As of noon Tuesday, 65% of DuPage County’s 651,879 registered voters had cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 election.
In the first six hours the polls were open on Election Day, 70,509 county residents voted, DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek said.
In Will County, nearly half the registered voters cast their ballots before Election Day.
The county clerk’s office reported 111,395 people participated in early in-person voting and 101,800 in mail-in voting, bringing the total to 213,195 ballots cast as Monday night, which is 46% of the 463,465 residents registered to vote in Will.
Read more here. —Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun
12:32 p.m.: Voters in South Shore hope for a fair election, get sidetracked by coronavirus-driven polling place moves
Craig Houghton cast his ballot inside the gymnasium of Excel Academy of South Shore, 7530 S South Shore Dr.
Houghton, 69, said he would be a little nervous waiting for the election results.
“I’m just hoping it comes off right,” he said. “I just want it to be a fair election.”
Across the street, at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Paideia Academy, 7511 S South Shore Dr., voters filed into the school’s cafeteria to cast their votes.
With multiple precincts inside one location and numerous voting sites near one another, some voters stumbled into the wrong voting location.
At Paideia Academy, quite a few voters showed up at the wrong polling location. This particular 7th Ward voting site used to be located at a nearby senior center, the site’s election coordinator said. With older people most vulnerable to COVID-19, many senior centers and nursing homes chose not to be polling places this election.
But the location change has confused some residents.
Some were redirected to their designated voting location. Others opted to cast a provisional ballot.
Provisional ballots are typically used to record a vote when there are questions about a voter’s eligibility and are only counted if the Chicago Board of Elections can verify a voter’s registration.
—Javonte Anderson
12:28 p.m.: Hair salon turned polling place is welcoming to Spanish-speakers
Daisy’s Hair Studio in Brighton was turned into a polling place Tuesday, with hairdressing chairs replaced by voting booths.
By midday, the voters had included some clients of the Chicago salon, at 4002 S. Archer Ave., said Pete Morales, an election judge who also served at precinct 13 during the last presidential election.
All of the election judges there speak Spanish to ensure that voters, mostly Latino,understand the process.
Among thevoters were Rosa Figueroa and her daughter Erika Castillo. The two became naturalized citizens two years ago, they said, and have been civically engaged in elections since then.
Castillo, who translates for her mother, said they encourage each other to participate in the country’s democracy because they believe in it.
“I’m voting for all of those in my community and in my family who give so much to this country but cannot vote because they are undocumented,” Figueroa said in Spanish. “Those of us who can vote, should do it.”
Although he can’t vote, Brandon Castillo, 16, signed up to be an election judge for the first time. His father, he said, lives in the country without permission.
Castillo, who attends Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, said one of his teachers inspired him to get involved as a way to support his father.
“I haven’t talked to them about this, but I hope they feel proud,” he said.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa
12:04 p.m.: Chicago turnout could hit 75%, relatively few voting problems reported Tuesday morning as election board looks into Truman College early voting issue
Voter turnout could reach as high as 75% in the city of Chicago, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen said Tuesday.
As of about 10 a.m., more than 916,000 people had voted early, by mail or in person on Election Day, marking a turnout at that point of 57%, Allen said. Based on votes at the polls coming in at a pace of nearly 30,000 per hour, turnout was expected to easily top 70%, he added.
“We are on our way, if this pattern were to hold, to reach somewhere between 1.1 million and 1.2 million ballots case, which would be a very solid turnout,” Allen said. “It would be well over 70%, probably closer to 75%.”
That, however, won’t reach the modern-day record of 83% when Harold Washington won his first bid for mayor in 1983.
Allen also reported “a relatively smooth and uneventful opening” of the city’s 2,069 precincts. Some opened just a tad late, but voters who were in line then indicated they would be able to make it back by the 7 p.m. poll closing time to cast their votes, he said.
As a result, it’s “the first time in several elections” that polling hours won’t be extended in any of the city’s 2,069 precincts, Allen said.
One polling place, in the 38th precinct of the 28th Ward, could not open because the owner of the scheduled site cancelled on Monday night, so that polling place was moved to the Westside Learning Center at Malcom X College, he added.He did concede, however, that there may have been a problem Monday evening at an early voting site at Truman College in the 46th Ward. At that location, it was reported that election judges did not let people standing in line before 7 p.m. closing to stay to cast their votes, which would be a violation of polling place protocols.
The matter is under investigation, Allen said.
“This was an extreme anomaly among our 51 sites that were open yesterday, but we take it very seriously,” he added. “And we’re going to make sure that we get out word to the judges again, in the precincts today, to make sure that they take care over every voter who is in line by 7.”
An argument broke out Monday evening following an announcement at Truman College that the line would be cut off about 10 minutes before polls closed, according to witnesses.
About 6:50 p.m., a poll worker at Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave., addressed a line of about 75 people and told them the site was closing at 7 p.m., said Claire Maue.
The 23-year-old said after waiting about an hour and a half, she reckoned she was one of the last dozen people who were immediately let inside after the announcement, although it was unclear what happened to the other 60 or so people behind her in line.
“Of course, with this election everybody’s on edge,” Maue said. “I was on Instagram earlier and saving things you know, if you’re turned away at your polling place, if they close the doors early this is what you need to do, this is what you need to say. I was just astonished that it actually happened.”
Mark McPartland, 25, said the man pointed at the line and said the first 12 people could go inside and that everyone else has to go home, sparking outrage from the crowd. McPartland also said he was one of the last people to make that cutoff.
“I just heard a lot of like people arguing with him in front saying that that wasn’t allowed,” McPartland said. “They all kind of staged a little ‘civil war’ to keep it open.”
Maue and McPartland both said they heard the man cite COVID-19 safety measures as one reason they couldn’t take any more people inside after 7 p.m. People near him raised their voices and cussed, Maue said, with one woman arguing, “You’re taking away our constitutional right.”
“I kind of felt bad for them because people have been working here like volunteers, so I was sort of sympathizing with their want to go home,” McPartland said. “But I mean, they were trying to close it 10 minutes early, so it seemed pretty brutal.”
—Hal Dardick, Gregory Pratt, Kelli Smith and Alice Yin
12:04 p.m.: Suburban Cook County sets ‘massive record’ of mail-in ballots
Suburban Cook County’s deputy clerk said vote-by-mail ballots set a “massive record” with 430,000 mail returns received by the office as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
That’s compared to fewer than 100,000 in the 2016 presidential contest, Deputy Clerk of Elections Edmund Michalowski said in a media call.
“The fact that we’ve already processed and went through and notified voters of 430,000 pieces of mail shatters all expectations,” he said. “When we anticipated this in March — what mail could be like — and when we built out the operations center to include all the new technology, we thought there could be up to 400,000 ballots, but then as time grew and the process increased, we realized that 400,000 is going to be in our rearview mirror. We are going to get up to 500,000-plus, potentially, mail ballots when this is all through.”
Early voting, or those who went to the polls in person before Election Day, also set a record with 410,00 ballots cast compared to about 365,000 in the 2016 presidential election, Michalowski said.
Through about 11 a.m. today, 87,000 voters stopped into suburban Cook County polling locations to cast ballots, bringing the total turnout to about 927,000 voters, Michalowski said.
Aside from minor technological glitches at isolated locations, the clerk’s office has not seen any reports of voter intimidation or suppression, Michalowski said. Michalowski said voters should not worry if ink from pens provided by the polling sites seemed to bleed through the ballot, noting the ballots are specifically designed to account for that and that some election judges inadvertently supplied the permanent markers.
Voters who cast ballots by mail or placed ballots in secure drop boxes can check the clerk’s website to see if their ballot was received. There is some lag time — for example, an armed carrier must transport the ballots from drop boxes to the election center — but most were processed in about 24 hours, Michalowski said.
—Elyssa Cherney
11:43 a.m.: Importance of election spurs college student with cystic fibrosis to vote in person
Just outside the entrance to Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy, 3319 N. Clifton Ave., in the 44th Ward, Birdie Everett Brachbill loitered with a black mask on and an “I Voted” sticker on his chest, defying his doctor’s advisory.
Brachbill, 21, of Lakeview, has cystic fibrosis, which puts him at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19. But Brachbill, who’s a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said it felt celebratory to vote in person for his first general election — even though his doctor was upset with him.
“I felt that my vote mattered more than doing it from home,” he said.
Racial injustice and the fair tax amendment were key issues that figured into Brachbill’s vote, he said. He remembered when unrest in Ferguson happened after the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014; as a young person just grasping politics at the time, he didn’t understand what was happening in the country as much as he said he does now.
“I felt like I was able as an adult this time to like be able to understand the situation and the severity of it,” he said.
Echoing that sentiment, Ryland Wimberly, 22, cast a provisional ballot about 10 a.m. at Hawthorne, which didn’t have a line or wait time despite the steady stream of voters. Wimberly said racial issues, immigration, fracking and plenty of other issues went into his decision.
Wimberly said he had applied for a mail-in ballot that he never received after some delivery issues. He came to Hawthorne on Election Day to cast his ballot because “we deserve to live in a world where there’s equality” and “justice for Black people being killed.”
“It’s really nice to see on social media all my friends — everyone — is posting please go vote, please go vote, please go vote,” Wimberly said. “I didn’t really witness that the last election.”
—Kelli Smith
11:30 a.m.: ‘Easiest voting experience in my life’
Voting was running smoothly at polling places in Fox River Grove in McHenry County and Lake Barrington in Lake County.
An election worker in Fox River Grove said there was an initial glitch with the machine that accepts the ballots, but that was quickly ironed out.
One family paused to take a picture before they entered Lake Barrington Village Hall to vote, as their dad told them “This is historic!”
John Bochniak, 26, of Lake Barrington said they were surprised there were no lines, and poll workers said the early voting must’ve helped cut down on the crowds.
“It was the easiest voting experience in my life,” Bochniak said “I didn’t trust mail-in voting entirely. I figured I’d vote in person to make sure my vote got counted.”
His 21-year-old sister Sheridan Bochniak said it was her first time voting in the presidential election. Some of their friends are politically active, while others couldn’t care less, but she said, “It’s a really important election. Every vote counts.”
—Robert McCoppin
11 a.m.: DuPage turnout at 61% by 9:30 a.m. on Election Day
DuPage County already had seen a 61% voter turnout by 9:30 a.m., including more than 190,000 early voters, more than 163,00 mail-in ballots and almost 44,000 in-person voters on Tuesday, according to the DuPage County Clerk.
In the 2016 election, there was only a 70.6% voter turnout, the lowest since at least 2000, which saw a 76.5% voter turnout, according to a release from the clerk’s office.
This year’s 190,689 early voters included what’s known as “in-person absentee” voting, which wasn’t included in the 2016 total of 108,902 early voters, according to the office.
A total of 212,816 people applied for mail-in ballots, so about 60,000 potential mail-in ballots still hadn’t been received as of Monday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
10:52 a.m.: Lightfoot blasts Trump for attempted appeal to Black voters, asks Chicagoans to remain peaceful
After campaigning for local state democratic candidates, Lightfoot chastised President Trump for trying to appeal to Black voters.
“The fact that he has the audacity to say that he has done more for Black people than any President since Abraham Lincoln is an absolute insult, she said. “We cannot support this man who has absolutely wreaked havoc not only on our country but our community. We cannot support Donald Trump. We need to send him back.”
Lightfoot saved her last remarks to address Chicago residents.
“Regardless of the outcome, in Chicago, we must remain peaceful,” she said.
“This election has evoked a lot of emotion and understandably so. It is absolutely the most consequential in my almost 60 years of living on this planet. But whatever the outcome, we need to lean into the history in Chicago of peaceful protests.
—Javonte Anderson
10:33 a.m.: Polling places monitored
Federal prosecutors and civil rights personnel on Tuesday are monitoring polling places in the Chicago area and staffing hotlines for citizens to report any complaints related to the voting process.
The hotline numbers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago are 312-469-6157 and 312-469-6158. U.S. Attorney John Lausch said in a news release that assistant U.S. attorneys and other office personnel will “respond to complaints as needed.”
“A crucial part of our democracy is the integrity of our electoral system,” Lausch said. “A citizen who is entitled to vote should not be hindered or prevented from doing so, and we stand ready to help ensure the sanctity of the process.”
The FBI will also have special agents available in its Chicago Field Office to take in any allegations of election fraud or other election-related abuses, according to Lausch. Complaints can be made by calling the FBI at 312-421-6700.
In addition, Chicago is one of 44 jurisdictions nationwide where the U.S. Justice Department has sent Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor for compliance with the federal voting rights laws, including any allegations of intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, or stuffing ballot boxes. Violations carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department.
To file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division, citizens can call 800-253-393 or fill out a form on the department’s website.
—Jason Meisner
10:11 a.m.: Pritzker, Lightfoot stump for Foxx
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx briefly gathered in the Chatham neighborhood at the office of Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th.
Pritzker and Lightfoot endorsed several Democratic candidates before reiterating their endorsements of Foxx, who is being challenged for states’s attorney by Republican candidate Patrick O’Brien.
“There are a million reasons to vote for Kim, but we also have to be concerned about her opponent,” Lightfoot said. “We cannot go back to have Chicago and Cook County to be false confession capital of the world. We cannot afford to go back to a history of wrongful convictions.”
Foxx said she was “honored and humbled” to have Pritzker and Lightfoot’s support, and she is excited about the election results.
“I’m excited and confident that by the end of the night that there will be a significant change in this country, in this county. We will move forward and make sure that every community is fairly treated, that safety is our priority and that justice will prevail.”
—Javonte Anderson
9:08 a.m.: New citizen casts first ballot, ‘looking for a change’
Dorota Rakowska had always wanted to live the American Dream — and, now, she has a say in what that entails.
Rakowska, 39, an immigrant from Poland, cast her first-ever vote Tuesday morning at Stephen Tyng Mather High School in the 40th Ward. She said she moved to the United States 18 years ago, but just became a naturalized citizen last year, granting her the right to vote.
“It’s very emotional being able to participate completely now and being part of the American Dream,” Rakowska said. “It’s definitely a fulfilling moment.”
Cradling her six-month old son, Antoni Panzarella, Rakowska said she wanted to vote in person for her first experience. She initially came to Mather High School on Monday night to vote, but decided to vote on Election Day instead after seeing the lines stretch out the door and realizing Antoni would have to wait with her in the cold.
Her patience paid off — she didn’t have to wait in any line about 8:15 a.m. when she cast her ballot Tuesday at the school, which was adorned with campaign signs scattered along the front sidewalk as handfuls of voters made their way to the building.
Rakowska, a stay-at-home mom, said the economy was the most important issue to her this election. The last few months being stuck at home had been difficult for her, and she said she felt lucky her husband still had a job after many of their friends lost their livings in the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m looking for a change,” Rakowska said outside Mather High School after casting her ballot. “I’m looking for a change for the better — get our city and country in order.”
—Kelli Smith
7:20 a.m.: At Rogers Park library, neighbor steps in for older poll worker because of COVID-19 risks
Aana Vigen wanted to work the polls on Election Day for her 80-year-old neighbor, Jean.
As she taped an American flag about 6:30 a.m. outside the Rogers Park Library polling place in Ward 49, a badge reading “Democratic Judge” attached to her shirt, Vigen recalled how Jean had always worked as an election judge in past years.
But with COVID-19 still a high risk, especially for older people, the 52-year-old election judge wanted to step in for her neighbor this election and set an example for her 13-year-old son, Ben, by participating in democracy.
“In the midst of all the grief and heartache of this year, doing active things helps me with the anxiety and the sadness,” Vigen, an ethics professor at Loyola University, said. “It gives me a sense of hope and purpose and I just hope we keep that spirit regardless of how this election plays out.”
There was no line outside the voting site Vigen was working in Rogers Park early Tuesday as a handful of voters rushed in and out to cast their ballot.
Marilyn Jaffe, 64, was the second voter who arrived, standing outside the doors at about 5:55 a.m. She said she’s always voted as early as she can on Election Day to avoid lines, and this year was no different.
For Jaffe, this election was about needing change after the last four years under President Donald Trump. She said the administration’s handling of COVID-19 and the nation’s divisiveness was a top factor for her decision.
“COVID is a big issue and hasn’t been addressed properly,” Jaffe said before entering the library at 6 a.m. to cast her vote.
—Kelli Smith
6:40 a.m. Chicago officials tout COVID-19 measures for election, tell businesses to sign up for protest, unrest alerts
With more than 756,000 early or by-mail ballots case by Chicago voters by Monday, city officials early Tuesday said that in addition to the more than 1,000 voting sites in the city, residents also can drop off their mail-in ballots at drop boxes at the city’s largest sports arenas.
Secure drop boxes are available at the United Center—a city voting super site, where any registered voter can cast a ballot—as well as Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, according to a release from the mayor’s office. Chicago election officials replaced many of the city’s smaller polling places with larger ones better able to handle social distancing and have put in place health plans under the guidance of the city health department.
The city also plans to send out geographically targeted messages to businesses regarding “any expected rallies or large gatherings” in the wake of the election, according to the release. Neighborhood businesses can sign up for CHIBIZ alerts by sending via text the acronym “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3. Anyone who signs up will receive emergency messages directly from the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
The emergency management office also “has launched a Business Operation Center” for businesses and other “private sector partners to exchange real-time information and provide situational awareness during public safety or public health issues,” according to the release.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6:26 a.m.: First person in line to vote at United Center traveled from South Side after being unable to sleep
Before the sun could rise, Nakiea Love sat on a concrete block outside the United Center. Love, who couldn’t sleep Monday night, got dressed around 4 a.m., hoping to be the first person in line to vote.
And that she was.
Love said she was unsure of where to vote near her South Side home, so to avoid any confusion, she decided to travel to one of the city’s two super sites, where she heard “any and everyone” could vote.
Armed with a Dunkin Donuts’ iced coffee, Love, 34, said this election is one of the most important of her lifetime.
“It’s just been a lot,” she said. “It’s been a lot going on. I think it’s been a lot of issues that need to be addressed.”
Inside the United Center, in the hour before polls opened, election judges, security and poll workers prepared for the day. By 6 a.m., a line of socially distanced hopeful voters wrapped around the United Center’s south end.
—Javonte Anderson
5:55 a.m. Chicago Board of Elections chair says agency is ready for Election Day
At the beginning of Election Day, Marisel Hernandez, chairwoman of the Board of Election Commissioners, said she’s expecting a great turnout for this presidential election.
The Board of Elections has been preparing since March to arrange larger voting sites and adjust to the coronavirus pandemic so voters could cast their ballot safely, she said.
“We’ve been planning for a larger turnout because presidential elections historically have a larger turnout,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been planning just to give voters a good experience, and a transparent experience.”
Standing under the Michael Jordan Statue inside the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Hernandez spoke about the significance of having the city’s basketball arena open on Election Day.
For the first time in the arena’s history, the United Center served as a voting site. It’s one of the city’s two “super-sites,” which means all Chicago residents can vote there, and same-day registration is available.
Along with other polling places, both the United Center and the other city super site, located at 191 N. Clark St., were scheduled to close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, baring snafus. Those in line when the polls close will still be able to vote.
“It’s an iconic Chicago symbol,” Hernandez said about the United Center. “It’s a symbol of who we are and how strong Chicagoans are. How united we are. And so, all of that will be reflected in the voters who come out today. We’re strong; we’re united, we’re a team.”
All Chicago voting sites will be following all federal and state public health guidelines, Hernandez said.
“We have available for the voter’s masks, hand gel, we will have disinfectant wipes, we will have socially distant spacing. We have put into place everything possible to keep voters and our workers safe.”
—Javonte Anderson
5:29 a.m. Against a backdrop of pandemic, civil unrest and charged political rhetoric, it’s Election Day in Illinois and across the country.
Illinois voters who didn’t cast an early or mail-in ballot go to the polls Tuesday to wrap up a contentious political season complicated by pandemic restrictions that have forced them to largely watch from afar.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. with weather forecast to be unusually mild for early November, with temperatures in Chicago predicted to be near 60 degrees and nearing 70 degrees downstate.
Election Day will bring an end to the thousands of TV ads, costing tens of millions of dollars, that have aired almost incessantly since September for candidates and a major ballot issue.
But it may take some time for the votes to be counted and there’s no guarantee results will be quickly available in key races. Nor is the election likely to put to rest the ongoing potential for social discontent and violence in what has been a year of civil unrest — the combustible byproduct of a charged presidential campaign, policing incidents in Black communities and restrictions resulting from COVID-19.
Read more here. —Rick Pearson
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