BC-IL-Chicago Municipal General Election Testing
EDITORS:
NEWS DIRECTORS:
NOT FOR BROADCAST, PUBLICATION OR USE ONLINE
The Chicago municipal general election is Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Poll close: 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST)
First results expected 8:20 p.m. EST (7:20 p.m. CST)
FEB. 20 UPDATE:
Updates Election Profile with expanded mayor narrative; two of three candidates in city clerk’s race pending removal staying on the ballot because of a possible appeal, and the Chicago Board of Elections still considering whether to count their votes; five of 50 alderman races are uncontested.
Restores incumbent Toni Foulkes to Ward 16 alderman race.
ELECTION PROFILE:
The nonpartisan Chicago municipal election includes races for mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and all 50 aldermen. If no candidate receives 50 percent in any race, the top two vote getters will compete in an April 2 runoff.
A runoff is likely for mayor, with a crowded field of 14 candidates vying to replace retiring Rahm Emanuel. The top-polling candidates include: Executive Bill Daley, who also served as White House chief of staff and U.S. Commerce secretary; Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who also was Chicago city clerk and a state representative; Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and a former alderwoman; former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot; and City Hall veteran Gery Chico.
City Clerk Anna Valencia has two opponents pending removal, per a Circuit Court decision. However, the candidates’ lawyer says he intends to file an appeal to the Appellate Court, so the Chicago BOE intends to leave the candidates on the ballot but still is determining whether to count their votes or leave vote totals at zero. AP will continue to advise about the race and make any necessary adjustments to reports. Three candidates are running to replace City Treasurer Kurt Summers, who is not seeking re-election.
Five of 50 alderman races are uncontested.
ANOMALIES:
If no candidate receives 50 percent in any race, the top two vote getters will compete in an April 2 runoff.
AP will not declare winners in alderman races.
CONTACTS - ELECTION REPORTS:
Direct any questions about election reports, testing, or delivery to AP Elections services to AP Customer Support at 877-836-9477 or apcustomersupport@ap.org.
Documentation for the AP Elections services is available at http://aphelp.ap.org.
Direct questions about news and photo coverage to News Editor Roger Schneider at 313-259-0650 or rschneider@ap.org.
CONTACTS - SERVICE CHANGES:
Members and customers interested in premium election services should contact Sales Planning Manager Tara Mahoney at 212-621-1759 or tmahoney@ap.org.
TESTING INFORMATION:
Testing begins Monday, Feb. 11. Tests are from 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST (12:30-1:30 p.m. CST).
Because of the Feb. 18 President’s Day holiday, AP will test four days the week of Feb. 11 and two days the week of Feb. 18.
The week of Feb. 11: Testing will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The week of Feb. 18, Testing will be Wednesday and Thursday.
The last test will be Monday, Feb. 25. No winners will be called during the last test.
This advisory will be updated throughout the testing period.
Zeros will be transmitted after testing on the eve of the election.
Race calls: AP will make race calls on election night unless a race is too close to call. Race calls will be made during testing, except on the day of the final test. AP will not call contested alderman races.
Races and candidates are considered preliminary. AP will advise when they are final.
Precinct totals are considered final with the start of testing.
Uncontested races: AP does not tabulate uncontested races. A list of races, IL-Uncontested, will move to premium service subscribers at ftp://electionsonline.ap.org/IL/anpa/ and to state news and broadcast services after the last polls close.
Winners: AP will move a list of unofficial winners at the end of tabulation and during each test, except on the final day of testing. A list of winners, IL-Winners will move to premium services at ftp://electionsonline.ap.org/IL/anpa/.
End of tabulation: AP will advise when its election night tabulation of results has concluded, generally before 6 p.m. local time the day after the election.
TESTING BASICS:
Test results are created electronically to test the accuracy of the election night reporting system and do not reflect an expectation of election results. They should not be broadcast, published, replicated or posted on websites.
It is vital to read weekly advisories during testing. Advisories move to news service advisory queues. Advisories note updates to candidates, races and precincts, along with the date when updates will appear. Changes may be made up to and including Election Day.
AP advises capture of each test during the testing period and particularly during the final test on the day before the election to ensure readiness to take results on Election Day.
Report frequency in testing may not reflect the actual election night schedule.
ELECTION DAY INFORMATION:
Premium Election Customers:
Premium Election Products (API, APEO-FTP, ANPA-FTP, DNE Elections) will have live zeros by 2 a.m. EST (1 a.m. CST), Election Day.
AP Newsroom and Webfeeds Users:
On Election Day from 1-2 p.m. EST (noon-1 p.m. CST), there will be a "live" (nontest) transmission of reports with zeros sent to AP Newsroom and Webfeeds.
Please pull in these live zero reports to clear your systems of test data.
DEFINITIONS OF KEY WORDS IN STATE SLUGS:
"TopRaces-Glance-Sum" contains race-wide results in summary format for contests AP considers editorially significant (mayor, city clerk and city treasurer).
"Contested" provides results in summary format for contested alderman races.
ELECTION NIGHT SLUGS BY SERVICE / ELECTION NIGHT REPORT SCHEDULE
Here are the slugs for the reports AP will provide and approximate times they will move for each service on election night:
Premium Elections Results via Digital Feeds (API, ANPA-FTP, APEO-FTP, DNE Elections): Results are updated every three minutes for API/DNE and four to five minutes for APEO-FTP and ANPA-FTP.
IL-TopRaces-Glance-Sum
IL-Ald-Contested-2-Takes
IL-Ald-Contested-1st-Add
Member Choice Basic / Member Choice Plus / Member Choice Complete, includes Webfeeds and AP Newsroom:
IL-TopRaces-Glance-Sum, twice hourly at :20 and :50
IL-Ald-Contested-2-Takes, once hourly at :40
IL-Ald-Contested-1st-Add, once hourly at :40
OpenWire / NewsPower / Newspower Max, includes Webfeeds and AP Newsroom:
IL-TopRaces-Glance-Sum, twice hourly at :20 and :50
IL-Ald-Contested-2-Takes, once hourly at :40
IL-Ald-Contested-1st-Add, once hourly at :40
Headlines, includes Webfeeds and AP Newsroom:
IL-TopRaces-Glance-Sum, once hourly at :50
The AP-Chicago