One Seed Chicago wants to help us all garden together - but you have to help pick what we grow. more ›

As the hearings into the challenges regarding Rahm Emanuel's residency continue, a new development could lend further credence to those challenges. more ›

Governor Quinn is in favor of having "open" primary elections and has gone so far as to insert language to that effect into some election-related legislation. There are questions as to whether what Quinn did is legal, and it will certainly face a challenge in Springfield, but not because of its legal ramifications. Lawmakers in the General Assembly use separate primary ballots to target voters for future campaign donations and to keep tabs on who's actually voting. more ›

It has to be hard to be an election judge in Chicago. Certainly it can be thankless. But some should probably blow some steam after the polls close. more ›

Remember when we wrote earlier this morning about "if you don't vote, don't bitch" and acknowledging that's naive? more ›

Today only, The Counter in Lincoln Park is offering a special patriotic deal. If you voted in the election, you can get a free side order of fries. You can show them your receipt or sticker, or just tell them that you voted - be honest, people! If you need something to wash down your fries, they just introduced a pumpkin shake topped with graham cracker pie crust. more ›

And if you that person and are insisting on voting today, then we want to arm you with the resources to at least make an informed opinion at the ballot box. more ›

Leave it to the Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign to potentially disenfranchise voters it wants to help exercise their right to vote. Thousands of absentee ballot applications sent out to registered Democrats by the IDCC contain errors that can hold up voters from receiving their absentee ballots in time to have them counted in next week's election. The mailing address on the return envelope is a PO box for the State Democratic party, which then confirms the information with voting records before sending the applications to county election officials across the state for processing. more ›

This year, for the first time since 1944, there are ten Best Picture nominees. And that means the return of the "preferential voting" system, also known as Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). more ›

We're girding ourselves for the February 2010 primaries and the run-offs and 2010 general election shenanigans to follow, but someone already has their eye on the 2011 Mayoral elections. A new, small website has cropped up called "Next Chicago Mayor." The site allows the user to submit 10 names or votes on a potential candidate to challenge Mayor Daley in February 2011 or to vote on names already submitted. Sort of like a Digg (or WindyCitizen!) for candidates. A message on the site reads: more ›

And then there were three...In about 36 hours, residents of the Fifth U.S. Congressional District will finally know who their new congressman (or congresswoman) will be. Tomorrow's vote to replace Rahm Emanuel, now ensconced in the White House as Obama's Chief-of-Staff, comes after months of official and unofficial campaigning and the field has been whittled down from 20+ to three candidates: Democratic candidate Mike Quigley, Republican Candidate Rosanna Pulido, and Green Party candidate Matt Reichel. Everyone under the sun expects Cook County Commissioner (and avid Red Wings hater) Quigley to take the seat and we admit that we expect the same. It'll be interesting to see if turn-out is as low for tomorrow's vote as it was for the primary vote (17 percent). And while Pulido and Reichel have high hopes of an upset, Quigley's fundraising advantage over them ($600,000 compared to Pulido's $16,000 and Reichel's $2,000) gives him the edge. That is, as long as his supporters turn out to vote. more ›

It's the Final Countdown. Sort of. By the time the dust settles tomorrow night, we should be down to three candidates in the race to replace Rahm Emanuel in the Fifth U.S. Congressional District. Need some last second cramming before tomorrow's primary? more ›

Good evening, everyone. We'll be keeping you updated with results, both national and local, as they roll in. Will our junior Senator become President? Will incumbents like Rahm and Durbin hold on to their seats? Will the people of Illinois vote for a Constitutional Convention? We'll be following it with you right here. Also, be sure to check back later for our Obamapalooza post with updates from staff members and readers from Grant Park. But for now, we await the results. We know it's been a heated, emotional campaign season so we ask you to keep it clean and civil in the comments. more ›

One of the smaller pleasures about voting is getting that sticker that says, "I voted!" that lets everyone know, "Hey, I rocked the vote." But there seems to be a severe lack of stickers out there, so how are we to display to the whole world, proudly, that we voted? This is my first general election in Chicago and I'm shocked that there are no stickers here. If the South did one thing right, it's the "I voted" stickers. (Well, and S.E.C. football). Anyway, our friend Scott Smith over at Time Out Chicago has a solution for those of you itching for a sticker. All you'll need is your receipt, a mailing label, some scissors and a little glue. Get clicking and get sticking. Image of voting receipt by kristen caston. more ›

Dear Cindy Miller of Washington, Illinois: more ›

It's Election Day and early reports are of long lines at polling places around the city and the build-up of Obamapalooza. Keep 'em coming, folks! more ›

Things are already cranking early this morning with people already showing up for Obamapalooza and glitches already being reported. According to Crain's:

Voting in Washington Park on the South Side was slowed when there were not enough pens to mark the ballots. more ›

Guess that knee injury Rex Grossman suffered last December wasn't so serious -- he was offered a new one year contract with the Bears, which he agreed to this morning. The Sun-Times calls the contract "imminent", and that it "includes incentives based on play time and performance". more ›

While the City Council was following up on the General Assembly's plan to "save" the CTA last week, 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett was advocating for minority businesses. more ›

It seems fitting to share this with you today. Bumpus has long been known for their energetic live show, but recently they took a large stride forward both sonically and lyrically. They've created their first video ever for "Something's Got To Give." The song's blatant political bent seem to ring true right now, especially given yesterday's voting results. It stands as a call to action and a plea to rise above political apathy, and it seems this plea is being answered. About time. more ›

Who needs a drink after this year's primaries? Don't worry, with both Mardi Gras and Super Tuesday today, there's plenty going on around town where you can get your drink on, and watch the election returns. more ›

Today's the big day. Along with 24 other states, we're voting in Super Duper Tuesday. Up for grabs are 1688 pledged Democratic delegates, and 900 Republican delegates. Delegate-heavy states such as California, New Jersey, New York, Illinois and Georgia could play a deciding role in the outcome of both races. But with polling showing a tight Democratic race, and Obama working overtime to split votes in odd-numbered districts, tonight's results won't produce a nominee for the Democrats. more ›

In a political season that has been marked by the theme of change, Illinois's 3rd Congressional District has become one of the battle grounds over what the Democratic Party might look like going forward in 2008. Critics of the incumbent, Dan Lipinski, are unhappy with his opposition to abortion rights and stem cell research, and his siding with moderate Republicans on the war in Iraq and domestic spying. Besides his voting record, they also don't like how he came to congress: If you don't remember the 2004 general election, the elder Lipinski won renomination in the primary, withdrew during the campaign year, and then led the process to pick his replacement on the November ballot - his son Dan, a political science professor from Tennessee. Although Dan won handily in 2004, angry challenges in 2006 held him at only 54% in the primary, with the opposition split between two opponents. more ›

Thanks to Bill M, we know that it isn't just Chicagoists who read... Chicagoist. And if you are part of that select group of ex=pat Chicagoans who keep up with our city, you're probably interested in voting in the upcoming presidential primary. And now, for the first time, Democrats living abroad can vote in the upcoming presidential primary. Democrats Abroad, the official overseas branch of the party will hold a global presidential primary from Feb. 5 to 12. Americans living outside the US can vote in the Democratic primary via internet, fax, mail and in-person in 34 countries around the globe. (The Tribune says there are 100 countries, but the website managing the vote says 34.) To participate, you must join Democrats Abroad, register, and request a ballot from the last US state you lived in before February 1. more ›

Head to Daley Plaza this morning at 10:30 a.m. for a quick early voting rally for Mark Pera. Pera, the assistant Cook County State's Attorney who is running against Dan Lipinski for the 3rd Congressional District seat, is the first serious candidate to challenge Lipinski since he went to congress in 2004. Pera's campaign has attracted a lot of attention, both online and in the district. Online support has helped helped fund his campaign, but anger in the district at how the elder Lipinski handed his seat to his son has fueled the viability of his candidacy. Still, he's running against the full force and weight of Chicago's entrenched Democratic Machine. more ›

Was it an over-eager desire to do our civic duty? Was it a whim? Or did we just want to check out what was inside the building in Welles Park? Who cares - our primary voting is done! more ›

With lots of delegates and potential momentum going into Super-Duper Tuesday, Nevada's primary has been both contentious and significant this year. Earlier this week a federal judge settled a lawsuit brought by the Nevada Teachers Union that should have helped Obama. Instead, with more than half of the precincts reporting, CBS, CNN and other major news outlets are projecting Clinton the winner today. Mitt Romney was the big winner in the GOP caucuses, taking his third primary win, and some serious momentum heading into Florida. more ›

Now that the Michigan primary is safely behind us, all eyes are focused on Nevada and South Carolina. For Democrats, who need at least 2,025 delegates to win the presidential nomination, Nevada's caucuses this Saturday offer 33 delegates. Not only is the nation looking at the Silver State, where early voting is a new experience for a mix of Latino, rural and urban voters, but so are the federal courts. Hillary Clinton has been polling well there, but Barack Obama has been endorsed by the state's largest union, the Culinary Workers. This endorsement is significant not only because it is the largest union in the state, but also because the state's Democratic party has opted to hold nine "at-large" caucuses, open to anyone within 2.5 miles of the Las Vegas strip, where the bulk of CWU members work. Intended to make voting easier for shift-workers in Nevada's casino industry, the move prompted a lawsuit by the Nevada Teachers Union. The lawsuit claimed that those voting in at-large precincts being held on the Strip would have too much weight compared with those voting at their polling places, infringes on the right to equal protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and violate state statute in the way they were drawn. more ›

Right Now, the State Senate is in the process of grandstanding before voting on the amended transit funding bill. You can read Rich Miller's updates to this point here. more ›

Early voting has begun across the state, and will continue until January 31st. As long as you didn't/don't register during the grace period, from the 2nd until the 22nd, then you can take advantage of early voting for all primary races. That includes the big one, so be the first to shut all your friends up about Hillary vs. Obama vs. that one muppet and let them know you won't be hearin' any more of their idle talk until they do the damn thing. more ›