Fewer Evanstonians will be eligible to vote on today’s gubernatorial election than could cast ballots in the last such election four years ago.
County Clerk David Orr reports that 42,573 people are registered to vote this year in Evanston. That’s down from 43,219 in 2010 and from 45,891 in 2006.
That’s contrary to the trend for suburban Cook County as a whole, where registrations are up over 2 percent this year from 2010.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, and if you’re not sure of the location of your polling place you can check it online.
Just over 5,000 people cast ballots in Evanston during early voting for this election, that’s about double the number of early ballots cast in 2010.
At the top of the ballot, voters will be choosing among incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin, Republican Jim Oberweis and Libertarian Sharon Hansen for U.S. Senate.
The governors race pits incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn against Republican Bruce Rauner and Libertarian Chad Grimm.
Voters will also be choosing who’ll fill an array of other statewide and county offices as well as members of the state house and senate and judicial candidates.
The ballot also contains two state constitutional amendments — on victim’s rights and voting rights.
And it has several advisory referendum questions — on raising the minimum wage to $10, inclusion of birth control pills in prescription drug plans, a millionaires tax hike for school funding, mental health funding and an assault weapons ban.
In local races, U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky is facing Republican challenger Susan Atanus, State Sen. Daniel Biss and State Rep. Robyn Gabel are running unopposed for reelection.
Two other state representatives whose districts include parts of Evanston do have challengers. Incumbent Democrat Laura Fine faces Republican Kathleen Myalls, and incumbent Democrat Kelly Cassidy faces Republican Denis Detzel.
IMPORTANT: Same-day voter registration/voting at Civic Center
No excuses: you can register to vote AND vote at the same time in this election. See http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/heres-where-you-can-register-vote-around-chicago-tuesday/mon-11032014-1006pm
The Evanston Civic Center is listed as one of the locations where unregistered voters can go and register to vote using two forms of ID (see the list in the link) and still vote in the current election.