3:55 p.m. Melissa Conyears-Ervin spotted at Manny’s Deli
Melissa Conyears-Ervin made an appearance at Manny’s Deli, a longstanding election day tradition for candidates. Conyears-Ervin, the wife of Ald. Jason Ervin (Ward 28), is running for City Treasurer against Ald. Ameya Pawar (Ward 47).
3:20 p.m. Only 23.2 percent of voters have cast ballots
As of 3:20 p.m. election turnout was still on pace to about match the nearly-record low turnout in the February municipal election that elevated Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle into Tuesday’s runoff.
Only 23.2 percent of voters had cast ballots, according to Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen.
But there’s still several hours to go until polls close at 7 p.m.
“It’s similar, but in the first round on Feb. 26, we saw a significant increase in the numbers starting with this hour — the 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. hour. I don’t know if we’re going to get that this time. We’ll see,” Allen said.
“Ghost town” is the description one voter used to describe the polling place he visited Tuesday afternoon near the Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
— Mitch Dudek
2:33 p.m. Englewood voters describe what’s at stake
Turnout was light midday Tuesday at the Salvation Army community center at 950 W. 69th St. in Englewood. Following steady traffic from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., voters slowed to a trickle — one or two every 15 minutes — after 10 a.m.
Staff at the center said they believed many in the neighborhood already had cast ballots; the center was an early-voting site, and traffic had been steady and heavy all week, they said.
In conversation with exiting voters, those willing to say whom they had voted for sided with Lightfoot by about a 3-to-1 ratio, most often citing “change,” but also, nearly as often, mentioning the since-repealed sweetened beverage tax Preckwinkle had helped push through the Cook County Board.
“I voted for Lightfoot because she sticks to the issues and talks about what she’s going to do to bring about change,” said Debra Armand, 66, of Englewood. “I think Preckwinkle is still too old school, and made mistakes like the soda tax.”
Preckwinkle backers, meanwhile, usually cited her experience.
“I admire both of them. and hopefully, the best candidate will win,” said Alice Daws, 78, of Englewood. “I voted for Preckwinkle because she was a former teacher and has the experience running government.”
— Maudlyne Ihejirika
1:59 p.m. Voter turnout in 2019 a stark contrast to Harold Washington elections
As of 1:02 p.m., voter turnout was just over 20 percent, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. That puts the historic 2019 runoff election — a face-off between two African-American women for the first time ever in a Chicago mayor’s race — on pace with the anemic, near-record-breaking low turnout in the Feb. 26 municipal election earlier this year.
Many paralells have been drawn between this race and the reign of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first-ever African-American mayor. But few similarities can be found in a comparison of voter engagement between Washington’s elections in the 1980s and the turnout in this race and its runoff.
RELATED: History lessons: Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle and the road not taken
Harold Washington’s elections set the record for turnout: 82.07 percent in April 1983, 77.49 percent in February 1983, 75.68 percent in February 1987 and 74.08 percent in April 1987.
12:54 p.m. Lightfoot team removes Burke barricades
Ald. Ed Burke‘s presence has loomed large over this mayoral race after he was charged with attempted extortion in January. Toni Preckwinkle has faced criticism for her connections to the longtime Chicago alderman, leading her to donate $12,800 in direct contributions from Burke to two non-profit organizations.
12:38 p.m. Low turnout numbers make for ‘a very uneventful day’
At a media briefing held by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, spokesman Jim Allen told reporters that election turnout numbers as of late Tuesday morning are “very similar” to those by the same time in the February election — with total turnout running at about 18.8 percent.
Allen said he was hopeful the numbers would pick up later in the day, as they did in February.
“It’s been a very uneventful day. It’s been very smooth,” he said, noting there had been very few issues at polling stations across the city.
As of noon Tuesday, just shy of 300,000 votes had been cast, according to the elections board. Here are turnout totals by hour and by age group as of 12 p.m.:
— Stefano Esposito
12:08 p.m. Preckwinkle votes
Mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle cast her vote late Tuesday morning at the 22nd precinct polling station.
Click to view slideshow.11:20 a.m. Watch Live election results tonight with the Sun-Times
Sun-Times reporters Robert Herguth and Jenniffer Weigel host will host our election night livestream from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. right here and on Facebook Live. Join guest journalists and politicians and follow along as the returns roll in. Brought to you by AARP Chicago.
9:42 a.m. Candidates cast their votes
5th ward alderman Leslie Hairston greeted voters after casting her ballot at O’Keefe Elementary school, 6940. S. Merrill. Hairston, who was first elected alderman in 1999, is facing a runoff with William Calloway, an activist who led push for the release of the Laquan McDonald video.
While it’s expected that candidates will be visible while they’re casting their own votes, there are strict rules governing what’s considered “campaigning” in the proximity of a polling place.
The Election Board maintains a “campaign-free zone” that extends 100 feet from the entrance of every polling place. Campaign signs are permitted on polling-place properties so long as they are outside the “campaign-free zone.” Candidates and their representatives are also prohibited from campaigning too close to a polling place.
9:08 a.m. Still undecided?
Too-close-to-call races in 15 Chicago wards have forced runoffs that will be decided at the polls today. Still on the fence? Our voting guide features profiles of every aldermanic candidate, their responses to our questionnaires on key campaign issues, and our Editorial Board’s endorsements.
Visit our Voting Guide to learn more about the candidates.
8:01 a.m. “I Voted” wristbands rock
Did you know? Chicago’s “I Voted” wristbands, which replaced white paper receipts after vandalism killed the sticker tradition years ago, were inspired by music festival admission bands and are spreading to other cities:
The Chicago Board of Elections explored several alternatives to the stickers that would encourage equal enthusiasm for voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election, including pins. But they came with with a steep price tag, Allen said.
“We were looking at more than $200,000 [for the pins] and we were like, ‘No, that’s not going to fly.’”
While on the hunt for a sticker substitute, a Board of Election Commission staffer at a music festival spotted the durable wristbands used for admission and had the idea that they would work well at polling places, too. While they’re a bit more costly than stickers, the “I Voted” wristbands — which Allen said were first used in Chicago — have been a huge success. Other cities such as Louisville, Kentucky, have begun using them, he said.
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6:24 a.m. Voting issues? Call the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners
6:02 a.m. Voting sites open across Chicago
Polling places open at 6 a.m. across Chicago.
The Chicago Sun-Times Voting Guide features candidate profiles for every runoff race as well as the Sun-Times Editorial Board’s endorsements.
Still undecided in the mayor’s race? See how Lightfoot and Preckwinkle compare on the issues.
Find your polling place using the Chicago Board of Elections search tool.
5:43 a.m. Turnout predicted to mirror February’s low numbers
Trends indicate voter turnout for Tuesday’s runoff election is on pace to mirror the nearly record-low turnout of 35 percent in the February first round that whittled 14 mayoral candidates to two: Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle.
That was the word Monday from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, based on early voting numbers.
“We hope we’re wrong,” board spokesman Jim Allen said Monday. “We hope everyone is just saving their vote for Election Day.”
Polls open across Chicago at 6 a.m.
— Mitch Dudek
