Why local Election Day is important
It's not nuclear disarmament, but today's election is arguably the most important one suburban voters face — if they care about their schools, their streets, their local economy, their recreation.
According to a Daily Herald analysis, 528 races are on the ballots in suburban Cook, Lake, Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties. Still, consolidated local elections usually inspire only 1 in 5 voters to hit the polls, despite the tens of millions of dollars at stake.
“The people who have the time and energy to understand and follow politics know that many, many important issues are settled at the local level,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said. “Decisions are made over how a town grows, how tax money is spent.”
Not only are voters scarce at local elections, but in many cases so are candidates. Of the 528 races, 238 are contested. School boards and municipalities have raised the most interest, with about half of races contested. But 47 of 70 library boards are uncontested, 16 of 24 fire protection districts, and 49 of 74 park districts.