Illinois Primary 2022: How and where to vote in Chicago this Election Day

Chicago voters head to the polls to cast ballots in Illinois primary election

It’s Primary Election day and Illinois voters get to choose which candidate will represent the party for the general election.

CHICAGO - Polls are open across Illinois as voters cast ballots for a wide range of races in one of the seven state primary elections Tuesday.

Chicago voters have choices as they can vote in their precinct near home or in any of the 51 sites that were designated for early voting, now referred to as voting centers.

Mail-in ballots should be dropped off to make sure they arrive on time. If there is a line at the polling place at closing time, you can still vote as long as you're in line by 7 p.m. No ID is needed to vote when the voter is already registered at their current address and is voting in the right precinct.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE FOX 32 YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Here's when you will need to present identification.

The ballot includes races for governor, congressional seats, state legislative offices and a variety of local positions

As he is in most GOP contests, former President Donald Trump is a central issue in Illinois' Republican primary for governor.

Darren Bailey, a conservative farmer who earned Trump's endorsement over the weekend and often reads from the Bible in campaign videos, is part of a six-candidate Republican field. His rivals include Richard Irvin, the first Black mayor of Aurora, Illinois’ second-largest city, who had $50 million in support from billionaire Ken Griffin but was heavily targeted by Democrats who see Bailey as an easier matchup for Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

While Trump endorsed Bailey, he also campaigned alongside first-term Rep. Mary Miller, who is challenging five-term Rep. Rodney Davis in one of the state's two incumbent-on-incumbent primaries.

Breaking down Illinois' most intriguing primary election contests

Political analyst Thom Serafin from Serafin & Associates peels back the curtain on some of the state's most intriguing showdowns during the Illinois primary elections.

But at Saturday's rally, Miller described the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade as "a victory for white life." A spokesperson later said she had intended to say the decision was a victory for a "right to life."

But the Illinois congresswoman is no stranger to provocative statements. Soon after joining the House, Miller quoted Adolf Hitler, saying he was right to say that "whoever has the youth has the future."

Davis is a powerful, more moderate lawmaker who is the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, which deals with election legislation and the Capitol complex.

Meanwhile, two Democratic incumbents — Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman — are facing off for a Chicago-area seat. Also on the Democratic side, about two dozen candidates are fighting to succeed Rep. Bobby Rush, the only lawmaker to ever defeat Barack Obama. They include John Jackson, son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Karin Norington-Reaves, who has Rush’s endorsement.

Chicago election officials said the youngest category of voters, ages 18-24, has the lowest turnout. However, some voters have hope for the next generation.

Polls open for voting in Illinois Primary 2022

Polls are open across Illinois as voters cast ballots for a wide range of races in the state's primary elections Tuesday.

Emma Hultgren offered some reasons why turnout is low.

"It’s probably a result of two years of the pandemic, people feeling really politically exhausted. But a lot needs to be done. I’m really excited about Gen Z starting to be the largest voting bank. I have hope for them I feel like Millennials are already tired," Hultgren said.

Quenna Barrett dropped off her ballot and said the thing that holds back younger voters is a lack of knowledge about the candidates.

"I think it’s also hard to get information," Barrett said. "We don’t know who to vote for. We don't know what a lot of the offices are. I think there can be a larger support from our local leadership to make sure voters are informed and actually know. Like if you don’t know, why would you care?"

As of noon, 178,215 ballots have been counted, marking an 11.9 percent citywide turnout, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Over 55,000 ballots have been cast on Election Day alone.

The turnout by age groups are as follows: