Chicago voters begin to cast ballots for city's first elected school board

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Thursday, October 3, 2024
Chicago voters begin to cast ballots for first elected school board
Chicago voters begin to cast ballots for first elected school boardChicago voters began to cast their ballots Thursday for the city's first-ever elected school board as early voting got underway.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There's something new on the ballot this year in Chicago.

For the first time, people can vote for members of Chicago's first-elected school board.

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As early voting begins in Chicago, the big draw is obviously the presidential election, but city residents must remember to keep scrolling down the ballot to vote for school board members.

RELATED | Early voting begins at Loop Supersite, Chicago Board of Elections Offices

"The state legislature divided the city into 10 districts, so they're big areas. You know, it's about the size of five wards, if you think about it. But everyone will see one of these 10 districts on their ballot," Ilinois State Rep. Will Guzzardi said.

An elected school board is a political dream come true for Representative Guzzardi, who said he has worked his entire political career trying to get one.

The board will have 21 members, with 10 elected by voters and 10 appointed by the mayor as well as the board chair. The hybrid model and the newness of the school board election is leaving some voters confused and unaware the candidates are on the ballot.

"I've heard from candidates who say they spend a lot of time during door knocking, just telling people that these elections are happening, and kind of educating them about how you vote," ChalkBeat Chicago Bureau Chief Becky Vevea said.

Voters will find their district and candidates buried on the ballot, between two sets of judges, which are races voters often leave blank, but since presidential elections are the most popular, the school board races will generate more votes than other election years.

"Generally you see over that 70% of voters, over 1.1 million registered voters showing up," said Max Bever with the Chicago Board of Elections. "So even if there is some voter drop off, there's gonna be a lot of votes for this new elected school board office."

RELATED | Our Chicago: November's School Board Election

In two years, the elected board will change again. All 21 board members will be elected by voters, including the board chair.

"Our schools ought to be run by people who are accountable to our communities," Guzzardi said.

With the exception of one school board district, all are competitive races. Elected officials and the Chicago Board of elections suggest voters do their research before acting their ballots.

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