If early, in-person voting is any indication, the turnout today in the races for Evanston City Council and the two local school boards will be nothing to brag about in civics class.
When two weeks of early voting closed Monday, 3,002 people had cast ballots at the Civic Center.
That’s pretty much the same total in the last municipal election in 2021, when 3,047 voters came to the Civic Center to vote before Election Day.
When all the votes were counted in 2021, including early in-person, mail-in, and Election Day ballots, turnout was a meager 23 percent.
While the number of mail-in ballot requests was about 1,000 more this year ( 7,300 as of yesterday morning), it’s still unknown how many will actually be sent back.
The votes mailed in so far this year are below 2021, but that could change.
Ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks by the County Clerk will be counted. Those which come in by today will be included in the preliminary count tonight.
There are only two city council seats at stake this year, both currently held by incumbents appointed to fill vacancies in 2022.
Ald. Krissie Harris is taking on challengers Darlene Cannon and Patricia Gregory in the 2nd Ward.
In the 9th Ward, Ald. Juan Geracaris faces Kathy Hayes.
In the race for the Evanston/Skokie District 65 school board, three people will be elected to four-year terms.
Candidates are incumbents Sergio Hernandez (the current board president) and Mya Wilkins, who was appointed last year.
District 65 challengers are John Martin, Ndona Muboyayi, and Omar Salem.
Voters will also choose three people for four-year terms on the Evanston Township High School District 202 board.
Incumbents Monique Parsons and Elizabeth Rolewicz are running for re-election.
Leah Piekarz and Kristen Scotti are the challengers.
One other District 202 candidate has it pretty easy.
Incumbent Mirah Anti is running to complete the last two years of a four-year term she was appointed to fill.
Anti is running as a write-in. But because she is the only valid write-in candidate, no other write-in names can be counted.
So all Anti needs is for one person to write in her name, and she wins.
If you’re not sure about the location of your polling place, you can find it online.
Evanston Now will have election results after the polls close at 7 p.m.
In D65, anyone but the incumbents!
The illusion of choice. Two incumbents are on course to be re-elected and the third has ties to former members.
What have we learned?
Nothing.