Early voting in Chicago municipal election starts Tuesday

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicagoans can start casting ballots for the 14 candidates in the city's mayoral race starting Tuesday.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners confirms that early voting starts Tuesday for the Feb. 26 municipal election, which includes the mayor's race. Voters can cast ballots starting at 9 a.m. at the downtown "SuperSite" at 175 W. Washington St. Neighborhood polling sites open Feb. 11.

State law says early voting should have started Jan. 17 or 40 days before the election. But election officials say challenges to candidate nominating petitions took time. The ballot was finalized earlier this week with 14 candidates for mayor, down from more than 20.

Board spokesman Jim Allen has said the state-mandated timeline was "not workable" for the city's municipal election.

Early voting goes until Feb. 25.