Nine candidates may be vying to become the city’s next mayor, but the crowded field didn’t make things complicated for a handful of voters who came downtown Thursday on the first day of early voting for the Feb. 28 election.
“The crime is just outrageous,” said Mark Bland, 59, an artist who lives on the West Side.
Bland came down on the L to the city’s voter supersite at 191 N. Clark specifically to cast his vote.
“We need a change,” Bland said.
Others were just as sure about the incumbent, Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
“We have to give people a chance to show what they are going to do,” said Connie Taylor, 65, who lives on the West Side. “She’s in already and she’s just started to do things, and we should give her a chance to finish, not just bad-mouth her.”
The other candidates in the running are millionaire businessman Willie Wilson; two retiring alderpersons, Sophia King (4th) and Roderick Sawyer (6th); Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson; former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas; U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia; and community activist Ja’Mal Green.
The early voting site at the Clark Street location and at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners office at 69 W. Washington on the sixth floor are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 20. The two sites are open 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Early voting in the 50 wards begins Feb. 13, election officials said.
For more detailed voting information, go to chicagoelections.gov.
Max Bever, a Board of Elections spokesman, said vote by mail is off to a “very strong start,” with 180,000 applications — the largest number of applications the city has seen for a municipal election.
