Live Updates: Pritzker wins the Illinois Governor's race; Harold concedes to Raoul at the Attorney General's competition



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With most polling stations being closed in Illinois, voters now know who their next governor is and expect to see the results of other elections held across the state. At the national level, each seat in the House of Representatives and one-third of US Senate seats were listed on the ballot. The Tribune is a live blog The election results in Illinois below continue well after the polls close.

Learn more about voting in Illinois on the Tribune Elections page.

Check out our updated photo gallery of voters in the Chicago area to explain why they are voting today. Live coverage by Tribune Elections outside of Illinois is available.

ILLINOIS RACE RESULTS: Get the results in real time here | Governor: Pritzker vs. Rauner | Attorney General: Raoul vs. Harold | Controller: Mendoza vs. Senger | 6th district of Congress: Casten vs. Roskam | 14th congressional district: Underwood vs. Hultgren | 3rd Congress District: Lipinski vs. Jones | More local coverage | National Live Blog

8:50 pm: voter turnout in Chicago is 55.6%, the highest percentage of mid-term elections in 32 years

Chicago Election Council members announced an unofficial 55.6 percent turnout on Tuesday around 8:30 pm, the highest turnout at mid-term in 32 years. –Juan Perez Jr.

8:35 pm: Harold concedes to Raoul the Attorney General of Illinois

Democrat Kwame Raoul won Tuesday night's victory in the race for the Illinois Attorney General, beating Republican Erika Harold in what was supposed to be the closest of the five nationwide polls.

The first results, however, told a different story and around 20:30. Harold went to a Ballroom at the Champaign Hotel to concede.

"Even though it did not happen like us tonight, there's still so much we've been able to accomplish," Harold told his fans. "We were able to send a message so loud about what we would like the government of Illinois to look like."

Raoul won 60% of the vote against 37% for Harold and 2% for libertarian Bubba Harsy of Du Quoin, according to unofficial results.

The winner will succeed Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan, daughter of the powerful House Speaker, Michael Madigan, who served for four terms but decided not to run again. –Bill Ruthhart

READ MORE: Republican Erika Harold concedes Democrat Kwame Raoul in race for Attorney General of Illinois

8:30 pm: Underwood quickly takes advantage over Hultgren but the race in the United States remains tight

Democratic rival Lauren Underwood quickly took the lead against incumbent representative Randy Hultgren in the much-anticipated election and close to the 14th congressional district of Illinois.

With about one-third of the votes cast, Underwood garnered about 52 percent of the vote, with the Republican party holding about 48 percent of unofficial votes.

The challenger seems to have been particularly successful in the small slice of DuPage County included in the district, winning over 70% of the vote, although Hultgren was doing a strong poll in McHenry County.

The contest to represent the broad traditionally Republican district that extends to the suburbs and semi-rural areas of seven counties in northeastern Illinois has gained national significance as Democrats seek to take control of the House of Representatives and that both parties claim the seat. –John Keilman, Christy Gutowski and Robert McCoppin

8:30 pm: Lipinski is re-elected, defeating the Holocaust denier

The outgoing US Democrat representative Dan Lipinski was re-elected in the 3rd congressional district of Illinois, reported 75% of the votes cast until then against his opponent, a Holocaust denier linked to the neo – Nazism, according to the Associated Press. .

With about two-thirds of the polls reported, Republican challenger Arthur Jones garnered nearly 35,000 votes in Cook, DuPage and Will counties despite a coalition of religious and political leaders who urged voters not to vote. support him.

Results may not include all early voting results.

Jones, a 70-year-old Lyonnais, had already run for office several times, but he was never a candidate in the general election. Jones earned 20,681 votes when he ran unopposed to the Republican primary in March.

READ MORE: In Illinois, the US representative Dan Lipinski is reelected, beating Arthur Jones, the Holocaust denier

20:25: Mendoza prepares to be reelected state controller

Democrat Susana Mendoza was re-elected Tuesday as state controller, proclaiming victory over rival Republican challenger Darlene Senger.

Mendoza spoke at the election night of Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker's election candidate after his spokesman said that Senger had called her to yield.

"Thank you for re-elected," said Mendoza in a speech to a crowd of people at the Marriott Hotel near McCormick Place. She did not discuss her next move, but instead spoke of other Democrats elected across the state. "I'm really honored to be part of this great dream team," said Mendoza. It remains to be seen if she will remain in the team in the coming weeks.

With this victory, Mendoza simultaneously launched the clock on new speculation as to whether it would jump in the pack for the mayor of Chicago.

Mendoza faced a challenge from Senger and libertarian Claire Ball. For weeks, much of the attention in the race was focused on what she would do next: win or lose.

While supporters continued to gather signatures for potentially getting his name on the mayor's ballot, Mendoza continued to be restrained about his plans.

READ MORE: Susana Mendoza declares her victory in the race from the controller of Illinois to Republican Darlene Senger "

8:15 PM Quigley and Garica win Congressional races, AP said

Democratic Representative Mike Quigley has been re-elected in the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, according to the Associated Press.

The AP also called the 4th Congressional District of Illinois, declaring the winner, Chuy Garcia.

7:45 pm: Pritzker wins Illinois governor's race after Rauner has conceded

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has conceded his re-election bid to Democratic billionaire JB Pritzker, according to Rauner's campaign, the heir to the Hyatt hotel giving his party virtually total control of the government. State by limiting the governor to a single warrant.

Rauner's concession appeal to Pritzker was launched about 30 minutes after the polls closed, campaign spokesman Will Allison said. Almost no vote was counted in the fierce race in which both candidates broke records of national campaign spending by leveraging their personal fortune for hundreds of millions of dollars.

READ MORE: Republican Governor Bruce Rauner concedes to J.B. Pritzker, Democrat, in the run up to the Governor of Illinois "

7:42 pm: Voter turnout in Chicago is 53.4%

More than 802,000 Chicago voters voted until Tuesday night, according to the Chicago Election Commissioners Council. Most recent data from the directory: 53.4% ​​participation rate (802,334) with people still online and voting, not including postal ballots arriving late that will probably arrive in the coming days, not to mention provisional ballot papers.

These include advance polls and the already-accepted postal ballot and polling day, but are NOT the final voting day figures:

18-24: 51.760

25-34: 162.042

35-44: 138,843

45-54: 131,470

55-64: 142.146

65-74: 106.169

75 years and over: 67,090

Juan Perez Jr.

7:40 pm: Voters go to the polls just before the polls close in Pilsen

It started raining a bit in Pilsen an hour before polls closed, but it stopped quickly. At rush hours, traffic flowed through the Rudy Lozano library branch, where a small line formed as voters stopped to vote after work.

Gene Munger, 24, said he voted for Hillary Clinton at the same library one night in November two years ago, which was a bit "strange and surreal".

"Probably, like many people here, I was quite shocked by the election of Donald Trump," he said.

A few minutes before 7 pm rolled around, some stragglers rushed to vote the last votes of the day. 23-year-old John Rivas rushed into the library with a black baseball cap and windbreaker. It was his first time to vote, he said, because of all the hubbub around the middle of this year's session.

"I felt like I had to come here and vote," he said. –Katie Galioto

7:40 pm: South Shore voters complain of long queues and lack of paper ballots

Electors in the Montgomery Place retirement community on the South Shore complained of long queues and lack of paper ballots Tuesday afternoon – a situation that persisted for hours and minutes before the scheduled closing of the polling place.

The ballots arrived at the scene a few minutes before 7 pm, municipal election officials said. Election officials had received persistent complaints about long queues and a lack of paper ballots at the polling station for several hours before. An electoral judge told the city that waiting voters were given a number when they were online.

City officials said people who had continued queuing would be allowed to vote, but that they would not ask for extended voting hours on the site. –Juan Perez Jr.

5:45 pm: Voter turnout in Chicago could be the highest in mid-term since 1998

According to preliminary statistics from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, the participation rate in the city of Chicago should reach a level never reached in the last mid-term elections.

Just over 48% of registered voters cast their votes at 5 pm, representing approximately 723,000 voters. Polling stations began to hurry in the evening, to the point that about 45,000 voters voted at the polls every hour around 4 pm.

"I think it's safe to say we're going to have 90,000 more voters, which will make more than 800,000 voters. We therefore have between 800,000 and 830,000 electors. That's a bit of the expected high turnout, "said city council spokesman Jim Allen. This total does not include provisional ballots and postal ballots arrived late.

"I think it's very likely that we will easily cross the 53% and maybe reach 54%."

According to the city's electoral council, voter turnout in the mid-term elections of 1998 reached 55 percent. But hundreds of thousands of additional voters are enrolled this year. A high number of votes was also recorded in Cook County, a suburb.

About 753,000 ballots were posted in suburban Chicago at 4:30 pm, according to the office of the Clerk of the Cook County, David Orr.

That number has exceeded the number of votes cast in every three-decade governor election, Orr said. –Juan Perez Jr.

5:25 pm: "One drink. I still have to vote. "

In the late afternoon, some of Wicker Park's neighbors took their seats at Club Lucky's bar, a tavern and Italian restaurant, which served as a polling station for years.

Inside the dimly lit bar, Nicole Coleman was preparing cocktails for guests, most regulars at the facility located at Wabansia Avenue and Honore Street. In the honor of the day of the elections, she offered to "independent" a white sangria and to "blue donkey" a cocktail with blue curacao.

"One drink," joked a man with Coleman as he entered. "I still have to vote."

Guests would enter the bar throughout the afternoon, some with confused faces. "The vote is in the back," said Coleman, directing them to the extra dining room where eight booths were squeezed.

"In the past, taverns, bowling alleys and funeral homes were places the community talked about politics," said Jim Higgins, owner of the Lucky Club. This is still happening in his tavern, he added, a popular seal among locals for his observation of the results on the night of the elections.

Joe Shadid and Lauren Powell live next to the lucky club for 10 years. They stopped in the back of the restaurant to vote, then went to the lobby bar to greet Coleman and have a drink – their tradition of polling day.

"We have our democratic cocktails. These days, the joke is that this is a democracy on the stone, "said Shadid, 31, with a smile. When voting, his main concern was to choose candidates who would fight for equality in every way, he said – sex, race, income. -Katie Galioto

4:55 pm: Update of the Cook County Ballot in the suburbs

4:40 pm: Election officials plan to extend voting hours beyond 19 hours. in 5 areas of Chicago after technical problems resulted in delays

Electoral officials in Chicago reported problems at some polling stations, which had not given voters the two pages of the paper ballot Tuesday, and announced separately that they intended to ask a Cook County judge to extend voting hours in five polling stations.

Despite reminders that electoral judges were required to distribute both a ballot paper listing candidates for the election and a second ballot listing the judges appointed for the purpose of continuing the term of office and non-binding referendums, the Council of Commissioners Chicago elections received information from at least a dozen polling stations. failed to distribute the second paper ballot.

This left little choice for voters if they intended to vote on the judges or on these issues.

READ MORE: Chicago officials report paper voting problems and plan to keep 5 polling places open late

4:24 pm: This is what the former governors of Illinois Edgar, Quinn will watch today

They are grizzled veterans of Illinois politics.

We do not really say the end of the policy by silencing the limits of the Mayor of Chicago's mandate. The other is out of state on election day, he misses his role as a computer scientist on television, but is OK to keep an eye on the election results via his iPad and CNN.

"Oh, never say never," said Tuesday Pat Quinn, former governor of Illinois.

As he speaks, memories of the politician who went to the press conferences while standing in folders filled with sheets of paper come to mind. He voted early – Saturday with his university-age son – so he could use his time today to collect signatures and get a referendum vote in the February municipal vote on a mental health service program. Community.

And he will be listening to see the results Tuesday night. There are tight Congressional races in the suburbs that could help change the balance of power in Washington. And the referendum question in Chicago, he inserted on the ballot to limit the mayor to two consecutive terms. And, of course, who will be taking up his old job – Quinn is supporting his colleague, Democrat JB Pritzker, against incumbent MP Bruce Rauner, a Republican, in the governor's run.

Quinn told the Tribune that he did not want Rauner to win in the 2014 governorship race, said of the governor in office: "I think the guy who is at the Inside must now be replaced. "

"There is some irony here. The last election, when I lost the race for governor, Rauner has exceeded our budget by 2 to 1. It is ironic to listen now to Rauner complaining about the money spent on the race, " said Quinn, who made an unsuccessful offer during the present Illinois Prosecutor election cycle.

Just last week, USA Today reported that Rauner complained to other Republicans that Pritzker had paid nearly $ 100 million more into his campaign than the current Governor and his supporters .

Indeed, Rauner, a wealthy equity investor, and Pritzker, a billionaire heir of the Hyatt hotel's fortune, have spent more than $ 200 million on their candidacy for the state leadership position.

Republican Governor Jim Edgar, who serves two terms and resides in Springfield but is out of state, said by telephone that, given the US Supreme Court's decision to allow candidates to pay unlimited in their campaigns, this is "not a surprise".

"I do not think we should be surprised that this is the most expensive, you have two rich guys running. I think it's the party leaders who regret wanting to sign not just millionaires, but multimillionaires "as candidates.

While the running candidates for governors today will spend $ 200 million north, Edgar's race against the then Attorney General and Democrat, Neil Hartigan, was one of the most expensive governor of state history, although the total reaches less than $ 10 million.

"We had the same amount of money, the same name recognition – and both parties supported us – we did not have a division on polling day," Edgar said. "It was tight until the day of the elections. We did not know before 1:30 the next morning who was winning. "

He remembers descending on the escalator to rejoice at the joy he felt "after a difficult campaign. Everyone was so excited. "

"Of course, the next day, the reality sank", while his administration had to face the budgetary difficulties of the State, an issue on which he felt criticized also.

Some things never change. -Lisa Donovan

4:10 pm: Higher than normal participation rate seems to be motivated by young voters

Municipal election officials were confident Tuesday afternoon that more than 50 percent of registered voters would run in the mid-term elections. It was just a question of how much more.

Just over 40% of registered voters in cities voted shortly after 14 hours. Tuesday, according to the Chicago Elections Council.

This number includes the ballots cast on polling day, the advance poll numbers and the postal ballots that have been delivered to date.

"Now we will reach 53, 56 (percent)? Let's see what happens in the evening rush, "Jim Allen, spokesperson for the Electoral Council, told reporters.

It has also been proven that a large part of the participation up to here has been caused by younger voters.

"The 18- to 34-year-olds, as well as the 35- and 44-year-olds, outperform the 65- to 74-year-olds, which we thought we would start seeing with advance voting and mail voting. The in-person vote has taken over today, Allen said.

The participation rate of cities in the mid-term elections reached just under 53% in 2010 and exceeded 53% in 2002.

"What is remarkable is that we are doing it well as we have 140,000 more voters on the lists," Allen said. "Even with our much larger voter registrations, which are our best for the mid-term elections since 1982 … We are beating the average mid-term voter turnout." -Juan Perez

16:04: The "blue wave" spans Half Acre

Mary Stoppert, 77, and Carmen Perez-Stoppert, 57, have not missed an election for 22 years – "even a small one," said Stoppert. The spouses came to vote at the brewery 2050 W Balmoral Ave. of the Half Acre Beer Co. brewery, to be "part of the blue wave of women," she added.

The two women are retired and have kept a few points in mind when selecting candidates, elements that affect their daily lives – especially pensions and social security.

Chief brewer O 'Doherty was preparing barrels just past the polls. It's not a lot of work to organize a polling station, he said, because employees are on hand to watch the beer from early in the morning until late at night. "We are proud to do so," he said. "And happy to be part of the neighborhood."

The booths were surrounded by a yellow rope tied to stacks of barrels in the Balmoral brewery of the Half Acre Beer Co., located at 2050 W Balmoral Ave., polling place in north-central.

As voters crowded, Ryan O 's Doherty and his team were preparing GoneAway, a popular IPA Half Acre, and Pony, a pilsner that will not be ready for consumption until six to eight weeks long after finalizing the results. of the election of Tuesday. .

Adara Towler, 28, was waiting near a pile of barrels of wood filled with sour mashed whiskey, while her husband, Max Hosmer, was finishing voting. She said that she had become more politicized in recent years and that she was hearing more and more about the mid-term cycle of this election cycle.

"In Chicago and in the state of Illinois, many of my personal beliefs coincide with those of many leaders in this field," said Towler. "But I've always felt my voice had to be heard." Hosmer finished his vote and the couple left to go home a few blocks away. -Katie Galioto

3:37 pm: A 90 minute line to Loyola: "It's worth it."

Two long lines of students from Loyola University in Chicago slowly infiltrated the polling station in the 27th district of the 48th district, at Sovereign Apartments in Edgewater Beach.

Monica Contractor, a junior psychology student, waited about an hour with her younger sister before getting her hands on a ballot. But she stayed and posted on Snapchat encouraging her friends to join her to vote.

"I think it's the moment when our vote counts the most," said the contractor. "Especially because of the political climate and many decisions made for us, and there is obviously not much representation for many minorities, low-income communities and also for people of color."

Aimen Shah, 18, a freshman at Loyola, said it was important to vote because many eligible voters did not take advantage of their right.

"Creating a change in the country starts with a person, that's why I'm here," Shah said.

She estimates that she has waited an hour and a half to vote. "It's worth it," she said. -Elvia Malagon

3.30 pm: Election officials ask the judge to extend the voting hours in certain constituencies after the appearance of the problems

Chicago election officials will ask a judge to extend voting hours in five polling stations, following a series of equipment problems or late opening.

-After the election supplies were sent by mistake to the wrong polling station, municipal officials want to keep the 20th and 31st offices of the 9th district open until 8 pm.

– The reduced number of electoral judges resulted in a delay of about one hour in the 46th constituency of the 2nd room on Tuesday morning. Officials also want to extend the vote on this site until 8 pm.

– A brief absence of election judges resulted in another delay of one hour in the 22nd constituency of the 20th district. The electoral commission of the city will therefore ask to maintain this place of voting open until 8 pm.

-Ballot's problems also caused prolonged delays in a polling station located at Murphy's Windows, in the neighborhood of Mount Greenwood. The city will request that these booths, located in the 12th district of the 19th hall, remain open until 9 pm. "Because there are more than 100 people who have left and people who have longer shifts, we are going to ask for particularly long hours at this place," said the spokesman of the electoral council of the city, Jim Allen.

-No other Chicago polling station will be open after 7pm. -Juan Perez Jr.

3:00 pm: some constituencies failed to distribute a second vote; participation rate at 42% at 14:50

Despite recurring reminders that election judges were to distribute a ballot paper listing candidates for the election and a second ballot for conservation candidates and non-binding referendums, the city has received numerous reports that Polling agents had not distributed the second paper ballot. .

This leaves few options for voters if they intend to vote on these issues.

"In theory, they could go back to their polling station and demand the vote of a provisional ballot," Jim Allen, spokesman for the Election Committee, told reporters.

"If anyone really wanted to, he could ask to vote a provisional ballot" B. "We will have to determine, within 14 days, if we can really count this vote."

Officials said they did not know the extent of the problem, although the election commission records show that staff members have received a number of complaints from voters up until Tuesday. afternoon.

"I think we've responded to enough tweets and surveys on Facebook and e-mails while we're confident we have at least a dozen constituencies," said Allen.

According to Allen, the main problem was that of returning judges who were not training. -Juan Perez Jr.

14:58: Near a law university, a woman was "voting against corrupt judges"

In the nearest polling booth at the University of Chicago's law school, at the Cornerstone Baptist Church gymnasium, located on 63rd Street and Woodlawn Avenue, voters said Tuesday afternoon that ;ils attendaient avec impatience des modifications du système juridique.

"Je suis ici pour élire les juges corrompus de leurs postes", a déclaré Darcy Fangi, arrivé à l'église vers 14h30.

À l’intérieur, des dizaines d’électeurs se sont engouffrés. Volontaires, presse-papiers à la hauteur des hanches, adresses vérifiées et vérifiées, et autres informations. La salle de sport était le site de plusieurs enceintes.

Fangi était l'une des rares personnes présentes avec un enfant. Elle a déclaré que le vote était particulièrement important pour elle mardi parce que la direction prise par le pays l'inquiète.

"Je suis généralement irritée par l'état américain", a-t-elle déclaré. –Ese Olumhense

14h45: Oh, alors c’est pour ça

Pour en savoir plus sur les raisons pour lesquelles Chicago n’a pas d’autocollant «J’ai voté», mais distribue des bracelets.

13h56: Trump soutient Hultgren sur Twitter

Le président Donald Trump a envoyé un tweet le jour du scrutin en soutien au républicain américain Randy Hultgren dans sa campagne au Congrès contre le challenger démocrate Lauren Underwood. «Le membre du Congrès Randy Hultgren (R) de l'Illinois fait un excellent travail. Sortez et votez pour Randy – Approbation totale! », A tweeté Trump vers 2 heures de l'après-midi.

Hultgren est apparu avec Trump lors d'un rassemblement dans le sud de l'Illinois il y a deux week-ends, à 300 miles au sud de son extrême banlieue nord et nord du 14ème district parlementaire.

13h26: «Je vois les silos à grains en construction parce que nous avons un président nommé Trump»

Dans l'ombre de la tour d'eau Willowbrook, les électeurs ont dû attendre un peu moins d'une demi-heure avant l'heure du déjeuner, ce qui, selon certains, aurait rivalisé avec l'élection présidentielle de 2016.

Craig Parks, 64 ans, faisait partie du groupe d’électeurs enthousiastes qui n’a pas dérangé l’attente. Parks avait prévu de voter pour maintenir les majorités GOP dans les deux chambres du Congrès afin de soutenir le programme économique du président Donald Trump.

«Je suis dans le champ de maïs. Je vois ce qui se passe. Je vois les silos à grains en construction parce que nous avons un président nommé Trump ", a-t-il déclaré." L'économie évolue. Tout cela dans deux ans! Ce n'est pas parce que les gens qui veulent jouer le font le font. C'est à cause de le président que nous avons en ce moment. " —Tony Briscoe

PLUS DE PHOTOS: Pourquoi j'ai voté aux élections de mi-mandat de 2018 »

13h24: Premier électeur de 26 ans, premier électeur: «Honnêtement, je suis nerveux»

Alfred Emerson s'est assis dans le coin d'un café animé de l'Extrême-Nord tôt mardi après-midi alors qu'il scrutait de près son bulletin de vote en papier de deux pages.

C'est la première fois qu'Emerson, âgé de 26 ans, de Edgewater Beach, a voté dans une élection. «Pour être honnête, je me sens nerveux mais je me sens bien, en fait», a déclaré Emerson. "En fait, je suis sorti et j'ai fait quelque chose pour changer, vous savez."

Il a voté au sein de la Metropolis Coffee Company, 1039 W. Granville Ave., un bureau de vote pour la 48e circonscription de la ville. Emerson, qui a été conduit à son poste à River North après le vote, a déclaré que le financement des écoles publiques, en particulier de celles situées du côté sud de la ville, préoccupait beaucoup le financement des écoles publiques, afin de permettre aux étudiants d’avancer dans leurs études.

Mais il était aussi motivé parce que ses amis le taquinaient en lui disant de ne jamais avoir voté. «Je suppose que je voulais que ma voix soit entendue», a déclaré Emerson. "Mes amis disent: oh, vous ne pouvez pas vraiment avoir d'opinion si vous ne votez pas."

Et tout en disant qu'il souhaitait être plus au fait de tous les candidats figurant sur son bulletin de vote, Emerson a déclaré que l'expérience l'aiderait lors des prochaines élections.

«Cela me donne une idée pour la prochaine fois que je viendrai voter», a déclaré Emerson. —Elvia Malagon

13h10: Les publicités négatives ont le vent en poupe

"Je ne suis pas heureuse", a déclaré Eurydice Moore en tirant sur son chapeau et en se préparant à quitter le commissariat de police de Chicago, dans la rue W. Addison à Lakeview. La consultante âgée de 62 ans a déclaré qu'il lui avait fallu environ 50 minutes pour déposer son bulletin de vote, car elle était confuse et les juges des élections étaient trop occupés pour aider.

La ligne de vote pour voter dans deux circonscriptions de la 44ème circonscription de Chicago a diminué plus tard mardi matin. Peu de temps après le départ de Moore, Richard Elliott a déclaré qu'il ne lui fallait que 30 minutes pour voter pour J. B. Pritzker au poste de gouverneur. Ce choix avait été motivé par son aversion pour les publicités de Bruce Rauner.

"Certaines de ses publicités négatives m'ont vraiment tourné dans le sens opposé", a déclaré le gérant de bar, âgé de 42 ans. "C'était en quelque sorte le facteur décisif." —Katie Galioto

13h07: Voter chez Ricobene à Bridgeport

Juste après midi à la pizzeria de Ricobene, au 252 W 26th St., alors que des dizaines de clients venaient dîner pendant la pause du déjeuner, les autres membres de la communauté avaient à l'esprit la participation civique, pas la pizza.

Le restaurant a également servi de bureau de vote mardi, les odeurs alléchantes de la cuisine se propageant jusqu’aux bureaux de vote, situés dans une pièce adjacente à la salle à manger.

Matt Dalzell, 27 ans, était l'un des quelque 70 Chicagoiens qui avaient voté au restaurant en début d'après-midi. "C'est le jour des élections, n'est-ce pas?" L'ingénieur logiciel a dit. Il s'assure de voter à chaque élection, ce qu'il sait ne pas être la norme pour beaucoup d'autres Américains.

"Tant que je le pourrai, j'irai généralement voter", a-t-il déclaré.

Dalzell, qui travaille depuis chez lui, s'est prononcé mardi pour soutenir les candidats qui "feront de l'Illinois un endroit où il fera bon vivre à l'avenir". Il s'intéresse particulièrement à une économie forte et aux emplois.

Son devoir civique accompli, Dalzell s'est concentré sur un autre besoin: le déjeuner.

"J'ai toujours pensé que c'était unique en son genre d'avoir à Ricobene", en tant que bureau de vote de l'enceinte, a-t-il déclaré. Il recommande aussi la pizza. —Ese Olumhense

12h50: La marijuana sur le cerveau à Lakeview

David Johnson's company let employees work from home for the day so they could vote, but he still came to his Lakeview polling place at the Chicago Police Station on W. Addison Street wearing a gray suit.

One of the top issues on Johnson's mind was the legalization of marijuana, which affected both his vote for governor and on a referendum question. The 40-year-old said he thinks regulating the sale and use of cannabis could benefit Chicago financially.

"I think that is one of the options to help dig us out," he said.

A few minutes later, Daniel Leahy walked out of the polls and voiced similar thoughts.

"I don’t think people should be allowed to be incarcerated for small offenses," the 23-year-old actor said. "I think that money can be put to better use." —Katie Galioto

12:20 p.m.: Tell us why you’re voting

Healthcare? Immigration? Trump? Take our poll and tell us why you’re getting out and casting a ballot this fall. Click here.

11:53 a.m.: Regretting a vote for Trump

Xiu Qiong Wu voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 — a decision she said she now regrets. On Tuesday, she voted for Democrats at the polling place in the Chinatown Elderly Apartments in the 25th Ward.

Wu, 72, said she voted for Trump because she liked the idea of America being the best country in the world, but as an immigrant she has been increasingly concerned while reading the newspaper every day.

“Ever since the president came into office, there were a lot of policies that were not good for the middle class and for the general community,” Wu said in Cantonese, which was translated to English through Ada Tong and State Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago.

Tong, who volunteers for Mah’s campaign, helped get Wu, who is wheelchair bound, from her apartment in Chinatown to the polling location after word spread that Wu wanted to vote but had trouble getting out of her home. —Elvia Malagon

11:23 a.m.: Translating ballots in Chinatown

Yuping Chen hopped from voter to voter Tuesday morning, translating the lengthy ballot for residents inside the 25th Ward’s polling place in the Chinatown Elderly Apartments. It was the first time Chen, 32, worked as a translator on Election Day.

“Most of the people want to vote but they don’t know who can help them,” Chen said. “They want someone to help them and that’s why I’m here.”

More than 100 people had cast a ballot Tuesday morning at the polling place located in the 300 block of West 23rd Street.

Among the voters Chen helped was 83-year-old Qu Xiang Chen, who said she voted because she’s a citizen. —Elvia Malagon

11:21 a.m.: A Gold Coast 73-year-old who has ‘never missed a vote’

Rebecca Janowitz tugged her blue scarf tighter around her neck as she exited her polling place at Moody Church and walked down the steps onto N. Clark Street. The 65-year-old Gold Coast resident knows firsthand the ramifications of elections — she's running for alderman in the 43rd Ward this winter.

"It would look bad if I didn't vote," she said. "You can't really expect other people to do stuff you don't do."

Julie Paradise knew what to expect when she showed up to cast her ballot.

"I'm 73, and I've never missed a vote," the Gold Coast resident said.

Paradise described herself as "a hardcore Democrat," who voted for candidates who shares her beliefs on social justice issues like healthcare and educations. She was surprised to see some of the city referendums and that there wasn't more of a line at the poll.

By 10 a.m., about 100 people had voted at each of the three Ward 2 precincts polling there. —Katie Galioto

11:20 a.m.: Extended hours for some polling places?

Chicago election officials expect to ask a judge to extend voting hours at a handful of polling places, citing “rather significant issues” and delays that kept voters from casting ballots.

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen declined to identify the specific polling sites that could have their hours extended, saying that some of the problems were still under investigation late Tuesday morning. But Allen did say the city would ask a court to extend hours for at least two and as many as five sites.

The problems were “egregious in the delay and the length of the delay,” Allen said. Poll workers at some of the affected sites also failed to collect contact information from voters who were turned away. —Juan Perez

10:52 a.m.: ‘I’m afraid of the Democratic Party’

Despite dreary weather, voters poured into a V.F.W. hall along the Fox River in Montgomery Tuesday morning. Among them were Jerry and Becky Davis, 69 and 62, of Aurora.

Becky Davis: “I’m afraid of the Democratic Party right now and what they’re trying to do. We’ve lost the ability to discuss without getting emotional. I’m hoping it’ll get turned around.”

Jerry Davis: “If you don’t get along with them, you get condemned. I think that’s how Trump got elected because the average person gets so tired of the B.S. that goes on in Washington, because the established politicians are doing the same things they have always done. But they don’t realize we’re not going to put up with it any more.

“When I grew up you didn’t care who the president was, he was the president and you honored the office. You might not like the guy, you may not care what he has to say, but you get behind the country.” —Tony Briscoe

MORE PHOTOS: Why I voted in the 2018 midterm elections »

10:17 a.m.: The scene in Bridgeport

9:51 a.m.: Governor’s race is picking ‘lesser of two evils’

Kyle Johnson, 34, said he voted locally but is keeping watch nationally.

He said he voted for Democrats and will be keeping a close eye on results from Texas, Florida and Missouri to see if Democrats make gains in Congress.

Johnson said he felt like the Illinois governor’s race was the “lesser of two evils,” so he focused on researching the long list of judges who were up for retention.

“I went through the list and made some decisions,” said Johnson, of the Canaryville neighborhood in Chicago. “There are a few that seem like real bad apples. They just sit there forever if you don’t vote them out.” —Elvia Malagon

Not sure who to pick for governor?

Here are links the Tribune’s coverage of the race: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and billionaire Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker broke all spending records for a governor’s race here. Our reporters have been covering the race closely. Other statewide races include attorney general and comptroller.

9:27 a.m.: Sick of the ads in Canaryville

Voter Kelly Reed, 49, of the Canaryville neighborhood, said she is fed up with the onslaught of advertisements from candidates.

“Everyone’s just bashing everyone, you know,” Reed said. “Instead of just saying what you are going to do, they are just saying why the other person is bad. It’s driving me nuts.”

Reed said she made time to vote at Chicago's Taylor-Lauridsen Park between dropping off her children at school and going to work because she wanted to make sure to “get the Democratic votes in,” adding that she is not happy with the way Republicans, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, are handling the government.

In 2016, nearly 40 percent of the 538 residents who voted in this precinct cast a vote for President Donald Trump, according to data from the Chicago Board of Elections. —Elvia Malagon

9:22 a.m.: Two trips to the polls for South Side 7-year-old

In the Canaryville neighborhood, 65 residents had cast their ballots by 9 a.m. Among the early morning voters was Deonna Hart, 39, who felt the weight of her grandparents as she stepped into the polling place.

“I have to,” Hart said about voting. “It’s a part of my legacy. If I don’t, I’m not honoring my ancestors.”

She voted at Taylor-Lauridsen Park at 704 W. 42nd Street with her 7-year-old son before dropping him off at school. It would be the first of two trips the boy would be making to the polling site. Hart said her husband would be bringing him along to vote in the afternoon.

Though they hadn’t talked to their son about the election, he instantly recognized gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker’s name on the ballot from all of the television advertisements. —Elvia Malagon

8:18 a.m.: ‘I don’t like the way our country is going. I hate the fact that we are starting to hate each other’

Pam Dandrige of Naperville said the primary motivation for her vote on Tuesday was her disgust with the lack of civility and increase in political vitriol in recent years. She arrived 5 minutes before the polls opened at Naperville’s Safety Town and was voter No. 14 at the precinct.“I don’t like the way our country is going,” she said. “I hate the fact that we are starting to hate each other and that’s an OK thing. It’s not OK! Hate is never OK.

“I want us to get back to where we were … Where this country was going for however many years, and we’ve reversed. Where it was OK to take care of the poor, where it was OK for everyone to get health care. But we have to take care of each other.” —Tony Briscoe

MORE PHOTOS: Why I voted in the 2018 midterm elections »

7:54 a.m.: An irregular voter shows up early in Naperville: ‘This is the first midterm I’ve ever voted in’

Before daylight there was a line of voters at a precinct at Naperville’s Safety Town, a miniaturized town with tiny buildings and street signs. Several dozen voters shuffled in and out within the first hour, including Elizabeth Dubiel.

“I’m trying to change the momentum of the way things are right now. This is the first midterm I’ve ever voted in. In my whole, I’ve probably voted like three times.”

Her first time voting was for former President Barack Obama. Since then, Dubiel said, she became uninspired with the lack of diversity on the ballot.

“In the past there wasn’t too many women on the ballot. I felt like my vote wasn’t heard, like my vote didn’t count.”

But Dubiel said her motivation to vote changed following the 2016 presidential election. This, she said, wasn’t a typical midterm election. —Tony Briscoe

National spotlight on the Chicago ‘burbs

Two U.S. House seats held by suburban Republicans have been targeted by Democrats as part of their effort to take the majority in the House. Suburban areas, especially DuPage County, were once the bulwark against the Democratic Party’s lock on Chicago voters, but that’s no longer the case.

7:05 a.m., Nov. 6: Pilsen early voter brushes off morning rain to weigh-in on judges

In Pilsen, the polling place inside the Rudy Lozano Branch Library opened just after 6 a.m. with a handful of voters huddled inside the vestibule to dodge the rain.

Johnny Buse, 29, of Pilsen, was among a group of people who huddled in a vestibule in the Rudy Lozano Branch Library, shielding themselves from the morning rain just after 6 a.m.

The polling location inside the library, at the intersection of Loomis and 18th Streets, is used by two precincts in the 25th Ward. Once the polls opened, a line quickly formed for voters who still had to register or change their address.

Buse was the first voter to cast a ballot at the Pilsen polling place. He made the trek before sunrise because he worried there might be long lines if he waited until after work. Early morning voting also allowed him to make it in time to Gage Park, where he works as an English teacher.

While this year's election includes a heated governor's race, Buse focused on the list of judges who were up for retention. While the long list of judges can seem daunting, Buse said he did his research because he's concerned about incarceration rates. And he thinks the legal system can be confusing and vague.

“I think the governor’s race — you’re often going to really end up getting similar things regardless of who is there — but judges, on a daily level, they have a much bigger impact on people’s lived lives,” he said. —Elvia Malagon

The Nov. 6 election weather forecast from Tom Skilling

Clouds linger as low pressure makes its way across the Great Lakes region. Election day opens cloudy and rather raw. Patchy light rain or drizzle possible through the morning. Blustery. West winds of 20-30 mph gust to near 40 mph at times. Clouds break during the afternoon. Despite emerging sunshine, temps near 50 early, slowly fall through the day. Dry overnight, but winds remain elevated. Colder, with lows dipping to the low-mid 30s. (Live updates from the Tribune weather page) —Tom Skilling

3:47 p.m., Nov. 5: Chicago, Cook officials say voter turnout likely to hit or exceed 50 percent on Election Day

On Monday, city and county election officials voiced cautious optimism that overall Election Day voter turnout will be higher than normal for a midterm contest, thanks in part to a surge in voter registration and early voting numbers.

Officials in suburbs surrounding Chicago said their unofficial count of roughly 1.6 million registered voters was a new record for a gubernatorial election. Early voting turnout was also sharply higher compared with the 2014 governor’s race, Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office said.

Chicago has so far recorded an additional 1.5 million voter registrations for this midterm election. That’s the highest recorded number in the city since the 1982 midterms, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

City voter turnout for midterm contests has hovered in the high 40 percent to mid-50 percent range since the 1980s, according to the city election board. Those percentages are similar to those recorded by the suburbs in nonpresidential general elections since the 1990s.

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