Saturday, January 10, 2015

Are You Registered To Vote? Here's How To Find Out

The city elections are coming up in a month and a half (on Tuesday, February 24th), and Chicagoans will have the chance to vote for a mayor, and aldermen in each of the city's 50 wards. (City Clerk Susana Mendoza and City Treasurer Kurt Summers are running unopposed, as is Ald. Harry Osterman in the 48th Ward.)

So, it's going to be a short ballot. The results will affect you more directly than the mid-terms did. We hope you'll want to vote.  Here's a really quick way to see if you're registered:  Click here.  Fill in your name and address.  It will tell you if you're registered.

And if you're not, but want to be?  You can register online (be sure to check afterward to confirm). Or download and fill out the hard copy.  You can register in person at 69 W Washington, or at any Chicago Public Library.  Or call any candidate's campaign HQ or any alderman's office, and they'll set you up with a voter registrar.

The last day to register for the February election is January 27th.  There's a grace period after that, and day-of-election registration as well, but in November the lines were epic for that.  Get it done now so you don't have to worry.  Early voting begins February 9th.

There will also be advisory, non-binding referenda questions on the ballot:
  • Whether employers should be required to offer paid leave in the event of illness, domestic violence or an emergency school closing (citywide) 
  • Whether workers who commit domestic violence should be required to receive treatment as a condition of continued employment (citywide)
  • Whether Chicago or Illinois should seek a system of campaign finances that involve a mix of small, private contributions and public funding (citywide)
  • Whether to elect the Chicago School Board (in the following wards: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 45, 46, 47, 49, and 50).  According to the Board of Elections, no valid petitions were filed to get the question on the ballot in the other city wards, including 48.)

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