Chicago Board of Elections
Nearly half of Chicago’s predominately Black wards are among 20 that have the highest Early Voting turnout so far, according to data from the Chicago Board of Elections.
Nearly one week after Early Voting began for the March 19 Democratic Primary, 3,248 ballots have been cast as of February 27. That figure includes 505 votes from residents who live in Chicago’s 17 Black wards, according to a Crusader analysis of election data. But 334 of those votes come from seven Black wards that are among 20 wards in Chicago that have the highest turnout during Early Voting so far.
Early Voting began February 21, one week after it was delayed by a court order that required the removal of judicial candidate Ashonta C. Rice from the ballot. The Chicago Board of Elections had to program all early voting touchscreen machines to reflect Rice’s removal from the election ballot.
Since voters began casting their ballots at two downtown Supersites, the Chicago Board of Elections has been releasing daily updates on voter turnout and turnout by wards.
The data also show that seven Black wards so far are among the top 20 wards with the highest voter turnout.
The 4th Ward, which includes Hyde Park, Kenwood, parts of Woodlawn and Bronzeville, so far has the biggest Early Voting turnout among the Black wards and has the fourth highest turnout out of Chicago’s 50 wards. Some 81 ballots have been cast from residents who live in the 4th Ward.
The 3rd Ward had the fifth highest voter turnout with 67 votes cast. The 5th Ward had the seventh highest turnout with 50 votes cast. Rounding out the rest of the Black wards in the top 20 are the 27th Ward (48 votes), 6th Ward (30 votes), 7th Ward (30 votes) and 8th Ward (28 votes).
The ward with the highest voter turnout in the entire city is the 42nd Ward on the North Side. So far, 110 voters in that ward have cast their ballots.
In the other Black wards, 20 people in the 9th Ward have voted so far. The 18th Ward has 19 votes cast, and 18 people in the 20th Ward have cast their ballots during Early Voting. The 16th Ward had the lowest turnout with just 10 votes cast.
This week, the Chicago Board of Elections decided to appeal a judge’s ruling that said a question on the Bring Chicago Home referendum was vague and unconstitutional.
With Early Voting underway, the referendum remains on the ballot; election officials said the votes made before the appeal won’t be counted.
Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement said, “Bring Chicago Home remains on the ballot. We are disappointed in the court’s ruling but will be exploring every legal option available.
“We firmly believe the referendum is legally sound and the final arbiter should be the voters of the city of Chicago.”
The referendum asks voters to raise the real estate transfer tax on home sales over $1 million, while lowering it for those that sell for less.
For now, the question remains on the March 19 primary ballot, but the votes will not be tallied.
The Building Owners and Managers Association, or BOMA, had sued the Chicago Board of Elections to knock the referendum off the ballot.
The measure requires raising the transfer tax from its current flat rate of 0.75 percent to 2 percent for properties valued at more than $1 million and 3 percent for properties valued at more than $1.5 million.
It aimed to raise $100 million to help people experiencing homelessness.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Elections in a statement said, “Any previous votes for the referendum are sequestered and will not be counted at this time. This is subject to change by future court order. “
