What You Need to Know for the November Elections

Here in Illinois, we have some of the most expansive voting registration procedures in the country. You can vote early in the weeks before Election Day, you can register on the spot at the polls, and you don’t even have to vote in person. This expansiveness means that if you’re able to vote, there are few good excuses not to.

However, there’s also a lot of information and questions that go into voting, and sometimes that can be daunting. In light of the upcoming November elections, we’ve compiled several sources of helpful information below to help illustrate how your vote fits into the big picture; how you can register to vote in Chicago; and where you can find nonpartisan information about everyone on the ballot in Illinois.

How your vote fits into the big picture:

This November election is a big one. There are a ton of offices up for election at the federal, state, county, and city levels. You’ve probably heard about some — or all — of them through the high volume of political ads blanketing the airwaves. While the names and issues vary, their presence is clear. To date, campaigns have spent over $1.7 billion on advertising and operations for the Nov. 2018 elections. They’re on pace to spend over $4 billion, breaking the previous spending record of $3.7 billion set in the Nov. 2014 elections.

What is all of this effort and money going towards? Well, you and your vote — especially if you’re a millennial. Despite a lot of investment from campaigns and other groups, 18–29 year olds typically don’t vote at the same levels that other age groups do. Gallup recently polled Americans about electoral enthusiasm and found a significant enthusiasm and certainty to vote gap among young people compared with every other age cohort. Specifically, only roughly a quarter of young people stated that they would certainly vote and less than half stated enthusiasm for voting in the 2018 midterm election. In contrast, over half of every other age group, ranging up to 82% of individuals 65+. During the last midterms, 18–29-year olds only made up 20% of the electorate, the lowest in 40 years.

So why vote, especially if you’re part of the majority of young people who aren’t enthusiastic about it? There are a lot of reasons, but three common ones to consider:

• Communicating your preference to political leaders. Not only does choosing one candidate signal your preferences for one’s platform, it also serves as a tool to keep current leaders accountable to the people. For example, voting for a challenger can signal displeasure for failing to honor promises or for disregarding concerns.
• Pushing for policy changes. Numerous political science studies find greater staff office responsiveness and policy advocacy from elected officials to communities that vote in greater numbers. Essentially, voting more can get you greater access and a larger chance of seeing your policy preferences turned into tangible action.
• Reaffirming your efficacy in the political process. Many studies show that a large barrier to political participation is the feeling that politics is inaccessible and that money has an outsized influence. However, even as nearly $4 billion will be spent on elections this fall, one point about voting has always been true: one person gets one vote. Irrespective of what you do or donate in the lead-up to the election, you get one vote — if you choose to exercise it.

Participating in the midterms allows you to advocate for your preferences on taxes, environment, courts, education, and everything in between. It is also a chance to uphold the importance of a shared and equal space of expression. Voting matters for you and your collective community — and in Illinois, it takes only a small part of your day to take action and go vote. See below for information on the details of how to do so: deadlines, where to go, and where to find information on the people on the ballot.

How do I vote?

Registering: Every time you change your address, you need to re-register to vote. The process for registering depends on how close to the election it is:

• Before Election Day: Mail or in-person; see the Chicago Board of Elections website for forms, details and required ID.
• On Election Day: In-person: see the Chicago Board of Elections website for forms, details and required ID.

Voting:

• From Oct. 22 up to Election Day: In-person at any early voting site in the city (there is one in each ward), or by mail. See the Chicago Board of Elections website for forms, locations and required ID.
• Election Day: Nov 6, 2018. Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM CST. You can find your polling place here.

What am I voting on?

There are a lot of elections on the ballot this November; everything from the U.S. House of Representatives, to state governor, to representatives for the city’s water reclamation agency.

To see a sample ballot of every election in your area and more information about each candidate, you can search your address here. For an overview of each election — and how each office impacts the day to day life of Illinois residents — read below.

Federal:

U.S. House Representatives:

The Chicago area is part of multiple different Congressional districts with different U.S. House Representatives, and they are all up for election this year. To find your district and information about the candidates up for election, check out your sample ballot here.

Statewide:

Governor/Lt. Gov of Illinois:

The governor is the chief state executive. The candidates are:

• Bruce Rauner/Sanguinetti, Evelyn (R) Incumbent
• JB Pritzker/Juliana Stratton (D)
• Grayson Jackson/Mohip Sanjeev (Libertarian)
• William McCann/Aaron Merreign (Conservative)
• Mary Vann-Metcalf/Gregg Moore (Independent)

Attorney General:

The Attorney General is the state’s lawyer; they prosecute violations of state law, represent Illinois in legal issues, and give legal advice to other government officials, such as the legislature. Attorney generals across the country have made news over the past few years for taking stances on laws such as state same-sex marriage bans, or starting investigations into global companies about their impact on climate change. The candidates are:

• Erika Harold (R)
• Kwame Raoul (D)
• Bubba Harsy (Libertarian)

Secretary of State:

The Secretary of State is responsible for Illinois’s records, including its laws and state archives/libraries. They also oversee voter registration in the state, registration of lobbyists and corporations, and the DMV. The SoS can have a big impact on your day to day life when you’re in line waiting to renew your license; it can also have far-reaching implications based on how they approach voter registration oversight. The candidates are:

• Jesse White (D) Incumbent
• Jason Helland (R)
• Steve Dutner (Libertarian)

Comptroller:

The Comptroller maintains the state’s financial accounts, and approves and directs payments to/from them. They have a big impact on what information is accessible to the public about Illinois’s fiscal health. The candidates are:

• Susana A. Mendoza (D) Incumbent
• Darlene Senger (R)
• Claire Ball (Libertarian)

Treasurer:

The Treasurer is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of all of Illinois’s public funds (a.k.a — the state tax revenue that everyone pays into). They have a big impact on what savings programs are available to residents, such as savings programs for college, or for individuals with disabilities. As the steward of the state’s funds, their investment approaches also impact how much the state has to spend in public funds. The candidates are:

• Michael W. Frerichs (D) Incumbent
• Jim Dodge (R)
• Michael Leheney (Libertarian)

Illinois State Senate and Illinois House of Representatives:

The Chicago area is part of multiple different state Senate and House districts, all up for election this year. To find your district and information about the candidates up for election, check out your sample ballot here.

Judges:

In Illinois, voters elect judges at several levels of the court system, including the Illinois Supreme Court. To find your judicial district and information about the candidates up for election, check out your sample ballot here.

Cook County/Chicago:

Most offices up for election in Cook County have only one candidate, including Board of Commissioners President, Treasurer, Sheriff and Clerk. See below for contested elections.

Cook County Assessor:

The Assessor’s office is responsible for assessing and leveraging property tax throughout Cook County, which leads to millions of dollars in tax revenue in total. Over the past year, these assessments have been controversial, prompting heavy interest in the Assessor race. The candidates are:

• Frederick Kaegi (D)
• Joseph Paglia (R)

Cook County Commissioners:

Cook County Commissioners serve as the governing board and legislative body of Cook County, which Chicago is in. They make policies and regulations about issues that affect all County residents, such as the recently repealed controversial soda tax. The Chicago area is part of multiple different County Commissioner districts, and they are all up for election this year. To find your district and information about the candidates up for election, check out your sample ballot here.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation Districts Commissioners (MWRD):

MWRD Commissioners are charged with protecting and improving the quality of the water sources for the greater Chicago area, which has a clear impact on the day to day life of Chicagoans every time they turn on a faucet. To find your MWRD and information about the candidates up for election, check out your sample ballot here.

Happy voting!