Early voting began Monday in the Chicago mayoral race. Voters have a little over two weeks to place their ballots for a progressive or centrist Democrat to lead the city for the next four years.
Candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson are going head to head in the April 4 runoff election. Both men received enough votes to oust Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the general election.
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Lightfoot's tenure ended after a tough four years plagued by rising crime rates, dips in education, and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vallas and Johnson offer polarizing stances on policy areas such as crime and education, the two largest issues at the forefront of Chicago voters' minds. While Johnson is open to a comprehensive reform of public safety, including improvements in education, mental health, and affordable housing, Vallas is pledging to hire more police officers and bring a fiscal approach to the Chicago Public Schools system.
Chicago residents could begin casting their ballots Monday via mail-in voting. March 30 is the deadline for the board of elections to review new vote-by-mail applications, and April 18 is the last day a mail-in ballot may arrive and be counted — it must have been postmarked by April 4.
Residents are eligible to vote if they were born before or on April 4, 2005, and lived in the same Chicago precinct at least 30 days before the election. Residents who claim the right to vote elsewhere or who are in prison or serving time for a conviction are ineligible to vote.
Every vote counts in the runoff race, as nearly half of Chicago voters selected a candidate other than Vallas or Johnson and now must decide who to throw their support behind.
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Since Feb. 23, Vallas has raised $6.12 million; since March 4, Johnson has raised $4.8 million — both are expected to raise their funds significantly by the end of the race. With the campaign fundraising limits lifted, voters can expect to see more ads funded by super PACs or big-money donors.
Endorsements from organizations and political figures have been rolling in for Johnson and Vallas. Johnson swept the national endorsement field, and Vallas received large support from local politicians, former 2023 mayoral candidates, and police unions.