Local Officials, Candidates Stress Importance of Voting

Yesterday, local candidates made last-minute campaign pushes, gearing up for mid-term elections. Today, voters will cast ballots in various races throughout the state. Nearly 10,000 election judges and equipment managers—approximately 2,000 of which are high school and college students—will staff 1,937 suburban Cook County precincts.

The election features two races for U.S. Senate and a Illinois Constitutional amendment question. 

Races to Watch

10th Congressional District

Glenview voters will want to keep an eye on the 10th Congressional District seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Mark Kirk. 

GOP candidate Bob Dold and Democratic opponent Dan Seals  are vying for the seat, which represents Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield, Glencoe and Winnetka among other northern suburbs.  

"We've talked to thousands of supporters and will be working to get out the vote until the polls close," said Aviva Gibbs, communications director for Seals' campaign, in an email statement Monday. "Dan [Seals] is a businessman and a tremendous leader who will create jobs while protecting our values." 

Seals received endorsements from various local newspapers, explained Gibbs.

"We're taking nothing for granted," she added. "This will be one of many close races."

Dold's camp is also expecting a close finish.

"We are encouraged by the strong level of support we've encountered the last few days during our bus tour across the District,"  said campaign spokesman John McGovern via email. "We believe independent voters are breaking our way because they agree that it's time to end the reckless spending in Washington, reign in our spiraling debt, and promote policies that will create jobs and put people back to work," he added.

57th District Illinois House

In another race to watch, Republican Prospect Heights Alderman Richard Hamen attempts to unseat four-term Democratic incumbent Elaine Nekritz. Despite her veteran status, Nekritz admitted that there were some pre-election butterflies on the campaign trail Monday.

"Well, it's always a nervous time on the campaign the day before election day," said Nekritz in a phone interview Monday. "The work is basically done and now we're just basically waiting to hear from the voters and so you have that anxious stomach feeling."

"This (election) is as an important as any one of them because every election determines the course of the state and the nation," she added.

For a complete list of candidates, to view a sample ballot or to view a list of polling locations and hours, click here. For Glenview polling locations, check out our map to the right.

Looking Back: Early Voting and Absentee Ballots

In 2008's midterm elections, 226,084 suburban residents (6,593 in Glenview alone) voted early. This year, early voter turnout remained strong but was not nearly as prevalent. Early voting sites, open Oct. 12-28, logged 2,837 voters in Glenview and nearly 72,000 throughout suburban Cook County. Wednesday was the busiest day of the Early Voting period, with 9,675 voters casting ballots, according to a press release from the Cook County Clerk's office.

"There's not the crusade feeling of 2008,"said Democrats of Northfield Township Committeeman Mike Kreloff. "People were proud of then-Sen. (Barack) Obama and were excited to get out and vote for him."

"I think it's a more realistic kind of election," he added. "But people need to understand that hard work takes time and if they want to continue progress, they need to get out and vote."

While significantly fewer people took advantage of early voting than in 2008's gubernatorial election, numbers have more than doubled in comparison to 2006's midterm elections, according to a press release distributed by the Cook County Clerk's office Friday. In 2006, less than 33,000 voters participated.

Absentee voting increased as well, announced Cook County Clerk David Orr at a joint press conference with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners Friday.

"No-excuse absentee voting, offered for the first time in an Illinois general election, is proving popular with voters," Orr said. "My office has processed more than 32,000 absentee applications, double the 16,000 requests received in the last midterm election."

According to the press release, more women (53 percent) voted early than men, and 44 percent of all early voters were 65 or older.

"Overall suburban Cook County turnout for recent gubernatorial elections ranges from 49.7 percent in 2006 to 53.9 percent in 1998," the release reported. "Since 1990, suburban Cook County picked the statewide winner for governor in each election."

 Election Day Tips and Reminders

Courtesy of Cook County Clerk David Orr

• Voters will have a choice of voting on a touch screen or with a paper ballot.

• Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.