Chicago’s future depends on your vote

Under the IRS rules that govern nonprofits, the Sun-Times Editorial Board can no longer make endorsements in political races.

But that hasn’t kept us from espousing the importance of voting in every local and national primary and general election.

So we’re beating the drum once again to urge Chicagoans to get informed, and then flex their civic muscles and head to the polling booth this municipal election season.

Whom residents select as the next mayor and as members of City Council and the new police district councils will shape how Chicago addresses its challenges — combatting crime, improving public schools, providing affordable housing and making sure our city has an efficient and safe public transit system.

Some citizens have already taken advantage of early voting, well ahead of Election Day on Feb. 28. There are also over 186,000 applications for mail-in ballots — the highest number of applications for a municipal election so far, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.

A little over 35% of the city’s registered voters came out to vote in 2019 when Lori Lightfoot made history as the first Black, gay woman elected as mayor.

This time around with Lightfoot in a heated race crammed with eight challengers, Chicagoans can’t be coy about who they want to run the city.

“Currently, municipal elections are the lowest turnout elections for the city, even lower than the midterms,” said Max Bever, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. “This is a far cry from the 1980s, where turnout was upwards of 70%-80%. We would love to see voters come and break that pattern this election.”

There is no excuse.

There are still several weeks before the election. Residents have time to brush up on the various candidates seeking office.

To help navigate, newsroom staff at the Sun-Times and our partner WBEZ have compiled a comprehensive Voter Guide with position statements submitted by the candidates and video interviews of the mayoral candidates.

It is hard to not be cynical when corruption, crime and unethical activity can be commonplace in city politics. But voting can plant the seeds of hope even in the most dire times.

“Your vote is precious, almost sacred,” the late civil rights icon and U.S. congressman John Lewis once said.

Chicago’s problems won’t be solved overnight and there will always be hurdles no matter who is steering the ship at City Hall. The least we can do is vote and set our city’s compass toward a bright future.

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