On an Election Day with only a handful of contentious races for elected office, it was a few hot-button issues that sent Chicago voters to the polls more than an affinity for particular candidates in Tuesday’s Illinois primaries.
The Bring Chicago Home ballot referendum was the talk of the town — at least among the small number of people who actually turned out to vote. The initiative would establish a one-time real-estate transfer tax on properties valued $1 million or more to create a dedicated revenue stream to address homelessness.
“People with resources should be sharing more, there’s enough for everyone to have a decent quality of life,” said Ayanah Moor, a Humboldt Park resident whose No. 1 issue going into the primary was housing. “Costs are already high without that tax, so I don’t buy that [it will increase prices more].”
Crystal Chiang cared deeply about homelessness, too, and said she wanted to “see homeless people in the city cared for.”
But she was wary of Bring Chicago Home because “the language is so vague and confusing, I had to read it like six times to really understand the question,” Chiang said as she headed into her polling place at the Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy in West Town Tuesday morning.
“How will you use that money?” Chiang asked. “What are you actually going to do to help homelessness? Will the city create more housing? Help people with jobs? It just seems like it’s all talking points.”
Scott Wahrenbrock, an Old Town resident, was another voter looking for more information on his choices. He said it was hard to really know the candidates he had to pick from as he exited the polls at the Chicago Public Library North Town branch.
“I’ve never been as uninformed as I’ve been in Chicago,” said Wahrenbrock, having moved from Washington, D.C., a couple years ago.
Wahenbrock did know who he’d vote for in the Democratic presidential primary, though: no one.
He said he left the line blank because he wanted President Joe Biden to cut support for Israel and call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
He also said he wanted to support Bring Chicago Home but didn’t “trust the city to get a block of money without deciding what to do with it.”
West Town resident Jessica Malcolm turned out to vote because she wanted a fresh face representing her in the 7th U.S. Congressional District.
“I love [U.S. Rep.] Danny Davis, he has done tremendous work, but we need some new blood,” Malcolm said.
Davis, who has represented the district for 28 years, faced a crowded primary ballot as he tried to hold on for a 15th consecutive term.
“I don’t want lifelong politicians, they shouldn’t be spending their entire careers in elected office,” Malcolm said.
Dakul and Ashima Malhotra didn’t have one particular issue they felt strongly about, but they skipped early voting because they wanted to take the time to look into candidates beyond the dozens of mailers they had received.
“I get careful about that,” said Dakul Malhotra, as the couple walked their dog Cooper in front of their polling place at Kilbourn Park. “Just because someone has a lot of advertising money doesn’t mean they’re the right person. We can’t just show up … we gotta do that research.”
