The “Nope” star revealed that she has welcomed her first child, a baby boy named Leodis Andrellton Jackson, with boyfriend Darius Jackson.
“Hey Son!!!!” Palmer captioned a photo of her newborn baby on Instagram on Feb. 27. “Born during Black History Month, with a name to match.”
Palmer shared a gallery of photos, including a selfie of the couple after “48hrs of being parents” and emotional pics of the pair in the hospital following Leodis’ birth.
Her post also gave a glimpse into her relationship with Jackson, writing that he “always made me playlists when we first started dating, ‘Someone’ by El Debarge was a favorite. We became each other’s someone and made a someone, look at God!”
“There’s some rumors going around, people have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant,’ and I wanna set the record straight—I am!” she said before unbuttoning her coat to show off her bare bump. “I gotta say, though, it is bad when people on the internet spread rumors about you y’all, but it’s even worse when they’re correct.”
She continued, “I mean, like, I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low, cause I got a lot of stuff going on, you know? But honestly this has been the biggest blessing, and I am so excited. Guys, I’m going to be a mom.”
Following her appearance on the show, Palmer shared a post reflecting on her journey.
“This year has taken me for a ride!” she wrote on Dec. 4. “And how cool, my baby and I are already doing it all together. Thank you God! Thank you to my amazing parents and family who continuously support me.”
Palmer also thanked Jackson, who she called her “other half,” for “giving me the things that only true unity can bring.”
She concluded her note, “Love is all we have isn’t it, you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone! Very grateful.”
Jackson — a fitness instructor — shared the news in his own way on his Instagram Stories with a photo of Palmer wearing a sweater and sitting at a restaurant as she cradled her baby bump. He captioned the pic, “2023” alongside a red heart emoji.
While she has kept her relationship with Jackson private, Palmer did open up about her love life during an appearance on “The Tamron Hall Show” in November 2021.
“It became more difficult to hide,” she said of her decision to go Instagram official with her boyfriend. “We spend all this time together, and he really is my closest friend, so it just becomes a thing where I’m not gonna hide something that makes me happy.”
She added, “It’s not gonna be everything you see, my job is my job, but at the end of the day this is somebody that is important to me so why not.”
They went Instagram official in August 2021, when Palmer shared Polaroids of the two packing PDA at her 28th birthday party.
More recently, the “Scream Queens” star reflected on how she balances her work while still making time for her personal life.
“You’re always trying to figure out how to maintain it,” she exclusively told E! News in November. “It’s not easy and I would not ever say or give the impression that it is because it’s not. So, I’m always working to make sure that I’m checking in with myself as much as I can.”
Keeping booked and busy, Palmer explained that that’s the way she likes it and feels “highly fulfilled from what I do.”
She added, “For me, performing is an act of service and I feel good in that space. I feel good in the service of others.”
While she expressed her desire to pursue other areas in the industry, such as producing, Palmer acknowledged that she needs to make more time for herself.
“There’s the personal half of me, the side of me that’s not a performer, that’s at home watching documentaries and TV shows and old sitcoms,” she said. “And that just wants to be with her family and hang out with my cat, Jackie—that side of me also needs love too. Again, it’s day-to-day balance and checking in and be able to maintain both of those parts of myself.”
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Nate Torres, 13, caught a good steelhead while coho fishing Sunday at Montrose Harbor.
Provided
Coho on southern Lake Michigan, as well as some steelhead, lake trout, brown trout and ongoing perch action, lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Nate Torres, 13, sent the photo at the top and this on Sunday:
Hey Dale went out to Montrose Harbor today looking to catch some Coho but I got a nice steelhead on a marabou jig tipped with a little piece of shrimp, I thought it was a goby because the bobber was barley moving so I decided to set the hook and got her just about 5 feet down she weighed 11 pounds and she was 29inches
LAKEFRONT SALMON/TROUT
Jason “Special One” Le texted the photo above from powerlining Sunday at the Chicago lakefront and and the YouTube video below that from Michigan City, Indiana.
Fish are going are southern Lake Michigan and it is not all coho, as the reports below indicate.
Ian Gen-Murray with a trout caught while coho fishing on the Chicago lakefront.
Provided
Ian Guen-Murray emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
Hooked this steelhead (26in., 7lb. 4oz.) on President’s Day. No bites on previous outings so it was more than I wished for. Mepps spinner. Credit Adam [Doscher] for his sudden appearance with a net. Offered him the fish free and was traded instead for three dollars worth of steel, a lure, good start all around.
Thanks,
Ian Guen-Murray
Casey Shell with five coho from southern Lake Michigan.
Provided
Jim Shell emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
Another mild day, light winds this past Sunday. Perfect day to get out on the big pond. Heard the coho bite was starting. Launched out of the Calumet boat ramp. We trolled the long break wall about a mile from shore. The bite started out very slow. Boated one coho early morning. Then between 11am and noon, we boated 4 more, for a total of 5 in the box. Trolled crankbaits, about 10ft deep. The bite should really pick up as we get closer to spring.
Jim and Casey Shell
Matt Larkin with a bonus lake trout caught while coho fishing.
Provided
Matt Larkin messaged the photo above and this:
I wanted to go perch fishing yesterday. I head out to 89th St. even though Noone else is out there I set up for 40min an no action. I text a friend that was powerlining at Cal Park. I decide to go over and see how he’s doing. He set up at 6am and hasn’t had a hit all day. He tells me to grab my gear and try for coho. I set 1 rod with a bobber, floating a minnow. I tie a snap swivel on my other rod and throw a variety of spoons hoping for a coho to hit. After casting for about an hour I get a hit. This was my perch rod with 6lb test. My buddy Luis Zuniga runs and grabs a net and helps me to land this girl. 15lb 34
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Coho action at portage Riverwalk and Michigan city pier fishing near bottom best. Skein, spawn saks, squid and shrimp doing well.
Coho action for trollers in and out of the mudd line in portage and down around Gary light. Brad’s thinfish and j-9 rapalas along with other shallow running crankbaits doing the job.
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor, Michigan, said weather limited effort from the St. Joseph Pier, but coho are around when weather allows access; some coho inside at New Buffalo.
LAKEFRONT PERCH
Some have been night fishing with some success at South Side slips. Not sure what the weather later this week will do to the bite or access.
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Perch action still decent when wind allows you out 50 to 58 ft of water out of portage and to the west.
NAVY PIER ANGLING
The north side of Navy Pier is open for anglers. The discounted parking for anglers is $9 daily, if out by 10 a.m.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
Chicago Park District’s parking passes ($20 for two months) for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at the Northerly Island Visitor Center (credit card only, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday), but call (312) 745-2910 first to make sure someone is there.
The $10 pier passes, which allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors, may be bought at Northerly Island Visitor Center (credit-card only, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday), but call (312) 745-2910 first to make sure someone is there.
STURGEON
Josh Ausloos speared the final biggest daily sturgeon, a 106.9-pound female, on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023.
Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin’s sturgeon-spearing season ran the full 16 days on Lake Winnebago through Sunday, Feb. 26. The Upriver Lakes closed on Feb. 18 after a cap was hit.
The recap on Sunday, included this wrap-up on big sturgeon:
There were plenty of big fish to see this season, with 46 fish over 100 pounds for the season (9 fish from the Upriver Lakes and 37 fish from Lake Winnebago). The largest fish this season was a 177.3 pound, 79.9 inch, F4 female that was speared on Lake Winnebago and registered at the Southwest Winnebago registration station.
WISCONSIN REMINDER
Inland gamefish season ends at midnight, Sunday, March 5.
AREA LAKES
Juan Macias with a good day of fishing at Busse Woods on Sunday.
Provided
Juan Macias messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale ,today Sunday with the warm weather the fish was aggresive and baiting very well ,I have successfully and had a mixed bag of fish completing my limit of crappies in 2 hours perch and yellow bass as well all on minnows under the bobber again at busse.
District fisheries biologist Seth Love would like to hear from anglers on catches at Braidwood. You can email him at seth.love@illinois.gov.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Proprietor Greg Dickson at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said most of the ice is blown off and a couple boats around. Still a lot of unknown. If going to navigate, be aware most ice is gone, just take it easy in case of any remaining ice floes are around.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
COOLING LAKES
Braidwood opens Wednesday, March 1; LaSalle reopens March 15; and Heidecke, April 1.
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Hours through April 30 are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Fishing is sunrise to sunset. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Casey Przybysz caught this 12 1/4 Bluegill last week from a Private lake on the East Coast of Florida ! These large Gills are Quite common in this lake !
. . . Most are trying for walleyes below Algonquin and McHenry Dams. Extra Large Fatheads on a 1/8th once jig head. Some channels are open and crappies and bluegills are being caught. Use Cubby Mini Mite with a crappie nibble or Gulp Minnow on a size 4 Aberdeen hook. A wax worm on an ice jig will work well for the Bluegill.
Mike Cronsell at Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported some walleye going below the dams, many smaller ones but one 7.9-pounder caught last week below Montgomery.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Dawson Kelm, 13, caught and released this northern pike at the Kingston, Wisconsin, mill pond.
Provided by Mike Norris
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 2/27/2023
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – Conditions are not great on Big Green with ice thickness only measuring between 4 - 8 inches. The majority of anglers trying to reach the Heidel Bar are just walking out from Horner’s Landing or Sunset Park. Nonetheless a trout derby was held on Big Green Lake last Saturday during Green Lake’s annual Winterfest celebration and the lake trout did not disappoint. The winning trout measured 37.5 inches.
Fox Lake – Local reports indicate there is 8 – 10 inches of ice on Fox Lake and anglers are running their four-wheelers out to the better fishing spots. Walleyes are biting off Maple Point after sunset and into the night on tip-ups baited with medium shiner minnows. Bluegills and crappie can be caught during the day in the Jug on jigs tipped with plastics or spike and waxworms. The Kingston Mill Pond has produced some nice northern pike in the last week.
Wisconsin River – Anglers are doing well on walleyes up to 21-inches vertical jigging with jigs tipped with minnows and fished along eddies and current breaks below the Wisconsin Dells Dam.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Staff at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay said the usual ice-fishing spots are not accessible for whitefish (I don’t think it is going to happen this year); still getting perch and pike near shore, use caution as March comes in
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed. Scheduled to reopen April 1.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Projected to be in flood through the weekend at Starved Rock.
KANKAKEE RIVER
River is high, especially below the confluence with the Iroquois, which is in minor flood stage upstream.
Arden Katz said bluegills continue good on Monona Bay, lots are fishing “The Triangle.” He’s jigging waxies or red spikes down in 5 feet of water. Ice was about 7 inches on Sunday.
Just one weekend left to the inland gamefish season here in the Northwoods. At the stroke of midnight, Sunday, March 5th, it’s time to pack up the tip-ups for the season (unless you’re headed to the U.P.)
Mixed reports from this past week. Some anglers did well, while others struggled. Few very good reports with the exception of Largemouth Bass, so let’s start there.
Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Always seems to be a correlation between warm (20 degrees +) weather and ice fishing Largemouth. Using medium shiners under tip-ups or jigging Shad Raps or Rippin Raps seemed to conjure up the most fish. Lots of action from 12-15 fish, but for the second week in a row, a 19 ½ LMB was caught and released!
Northern Pike: Good – Bite started late mornings, but improved throughout the days. Big, active shiners and suckers seemed to interest Pike the most. A few anglers using frozen smelt also reported success. Definitely feeding up, as many Pike caught showed signs of full gullets as egg production in full swing!
Yellow Perch: Good-Fair - Another species packing on the ounces as they are early spawners also and building up weight for ice out. Still two types of bites. Outside weed edges in 8-10 using minnow or fry shaped jigs, such as Z-Vibers or K-Rips tipped with waxies. Over mud flats of 18-26’, fast dropping Nils, Kastmasters, Bull Spoons and Pinheads tipped with wigglers or red spikes. Start with an aggressive jigging motion to draw them in, then watch on your flasher as Perch rise 6-8’ to meet your jig on the way down.
Bluegill: Good-Fair – Best along weeds of 7-10’. Small tungsten jigs in sizes 2.5mm – 3mm tipped with waxies, spikes or dark plastics. A few reports of deeper Gills in 14-18’ also, same presentation along coontail edges.
Walleye: Fair-Good – Best on 3 suckers along 12-14’ weed edges at dusk or 18-25’ humps depending on what the lake has to offer. Anglers reporting some success jigging Slab Raps and the new Jigging Shadow Rap.
Crappie: Fair – Bite seemed off. Basin fish scattered, tough to pinpoint. Weed fish seemed negatively affected by high pressure, so fish tighter to the bottom on days like these.
Despite Thursday’s snow (2/23), travel on the lakes remained good as snow was light and fluffy. What things will be like by the end of the week remains to be seen as snow on 2/27 and 3/1 with highs in the low 30’s could bring weight. Temps look good for the final weekend of gamefish with highs forecasted for mid to upper 30’s and some clouds to offset the coming full moon.
Upcoming Ice Fishing Tournaments
Mar 4th – KISS Highschool Ice Fishing Tournament
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Coho action at portage Riverwalk and Michigan city pier fishing near bottom best. Skein, spawn saks, squid and shrimp doing well.
Coho action for trollers in and out of the mudd line in portage and down around Gary light. Brad’s thinfish and j-9 rapalas along with other shallow running crankbaits doing the job.
Perch action still decent when wind allows you out 50 to 58 ft of water out of portage and to the west.
Crappie action on lake George in Hobart around 3rd and Wisconsin street bridges using minnows.
Hi, Dale! I hope you & your family enjoyed the recent mild weather as much as we did. It’s looking more & more like a very early Spring & fishing season this year, & also remember: the Northwest Indiana Fishing Expo is this weekend in Highland, Indiana to jumpstart the new season!
Fishing remains really good on the south end of Lake Michigan, with limit catches of Perch & Coho.
Perch fishing has been the best in 45-55 FOW off Gary Lighthouse; slips on the Illinois/Indiana border are also still getting good action. Red worms, minnows, & beemoths are still the go-tos.
Coho are coming on body baits in 12-15 FOW. Spawn sacs & squid are both working well.
The rivers are still very dirty & fast from all the rains. Hopefully they clear up & slow down soon to enable easier, better fishing conditions.
Catfishing is moderate right now, with a steady increase as the weather becomes nicer. Nightcrawlers & stinkbait are performing best.
SHABBONA LAKE
Site hours on Wednesday, March 1, go to 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Boondocks is closed
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said weather limited effort from the St. Joseph Pier, but coho are around when weather allows access; some coho inside at New Buffalo.
Sturgeon-spearing season ran the full 16 days on Lake Winnebago through Sunday, Feb. 26. The Upriver Lakes closed on Feb. 18 after a cap was hit. Ice conditions were a complicating factor.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Ice conditions haven’t changed much, snowmobile or ATV traffic is still the safest bet. Some good northern action on Partridge, along with perch, gills, and crappie. The Wolf river should be open soon for the early walleye anglers.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/sj5H8cY
Many residents may have been surprised to find a new voting section on their ballots this Election Day: the Chicago Police District Council.
District councils will be elected in each of Chicago’s 22 police districts.
But what are they and how does it work?
What are the police district councils?
The district councils are part of an ordinance approved by Chicago City Council back in July of 2021 to create a new model for police oversight, accountability and public safety. Of the 22 police districts in the city, each district council would be made up of three people elected in regular municipal elections every four years.
They will be elected every four years, on the same schedule as the mayoral and City Council races.
What do the police district councils do?
According to a city-run website, the councils will aim to build connections between police and communities, while also developing and implementing community policing initiatives.
Monthly-public meetings will be held, where residents can “raise and work to address concerns about policing in the district.”
Bishop Tavis Grant with the Rainbow Push Coalition is encouraging Chicagoans to vote, specifically in this election that will set the initial tone for the groups.
“These district councils now give us a sense of cohesion and collaboration at the community level with an element of democracy,” Grant said.
“It’s probably a good idea,” said former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. “It all depends on their authority and how to get appointed. Honestly, I think we don’t want to put people who hate the police on those councils.”
McCarthy has questions about what level of authority this elected district council would have. He believes good policing is about more than just creating an accountability council.
“You can’t legislate good policing,” he said. “Good policing comes from policy and training and supervision and where people violate we have to take appropriate action.”
“There’s no way that policing alone can fix the ills of unemployment, the need for more mental health intervention, the need for more community development and the whole idea of the equilibrium of everyone playing a part,” said Bishop Grant.
The elections come at a key time amid recent events and calls for police reform across the country.
“Chicago is a city of communities,” said Grant. “So the question has to be what kind of community do you want to live in and what is public safety and what does it mean to you?”
The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan.
AP file
NEW YORK — The Supreme Court is meeting Tuesday to hear two cases challenging President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. At stake: forgiveness of up to $20,000 in debt for more than 40 million Americans. Nearly half of those people could have their federal student debt wiped out entirely.
Already, about 26 million people have applied for debt forgiveness, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, all the relief is on hold. The Education Department stopped taking applications in November because of legal challenges to the plan.
The Supreme Court will have the ultimate say on whether Biden can wipe out student loan debt, fulfilling a campaign pledge he made in 2020. Here’s what to know if you’re waiting for debt relief.
Who qualifies for Biden’s student loan forgiveness?
The plan Biden announced last August would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically come from lower-income households, would receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness, for a total of $20,000.
Federal student loans taken out for graduate school, including federal Graduate PLUS loans, can qualify for forgiveness under the plan.
Borrowers qualify if their federal student loans were disbursed before July 1.
How is the Supreme Court expected to rule on student loans?
So far, Republican-appointed lower court judges have kept Biden’s plan from going into effect. The Supreme Court is dominated 6-3 by conservatives, but it remains to be seen how the justices will rule.
When will the Supreme Court decide the student loans cases?
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday, but there won’t be a decision for months. The court usually issues all of its decisions by the end of June.
How do I know if my student loan will be forgiven?
Debt forgiveness, if it goes ahead, is for borrowers holding federal student loans not private loans.
To determine what kind of loans you hold, log in to the Federal Student Aid website, studentaid.gov. Direct loans, including Parent Plus loans, qualify. Some older FFEL and Perkins loans are also eligible, if owned by the Department of Education. For people holding older FFEL loans, consolidating those loans can lead to credit for forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans.
If you’ve already applied and been approved, you should have received an email telling you this.
Will the pause in student loan payments continue?
During the pandemic, two presidential administrations paused payments for those holding federal student loans. The pause has been extended to as late as this summer.
Payments are set to resume, along with the accrual of interest, 60 days after the court cases are resolved. For example, if legal issues remain at the end of June, payments would restart at the end of August. If the court issues a ruling in March, repayment could restart as early as May or June.
If the cases haven’t been resolved by June 30, payments will start 60 days after that.
Is it possible Biden’s student loan forgiveness won’t happen at all?
Yes.
Biden’s administration is not saying whether it is exploring other options for canceling debt if it loses its court appeals. But advocates point to other ways the debt might be forgiven, including through the Higher Education Act.
How should I prepare for student loans payments to restart?
Betsy Mayotte, president of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, encourages people not to make any payments until the pause has ended. Instead, she says, put your payment amount into a savings account.
“Then you’ve maintained the habit of making the payment, but earning a little bit of interest as well. There’s no reason to send that money to the student loans until the last minute of the 0% interest rate.”
Mayotte recommends borrowers use the loan-simulator tool at StudentAid.gov or the one on TISLA’s website to find the payment plan that best fits their needs. The calculators tell you what your monthly payment would be under each available plan, as well as your long-term costs.
“I really want to emphasize the long-term,” Mayotte said.
Sometimes, when borrowers are in a financial bind, they’ll choose the option with the lowest monthly payment, which can cost more over the life of the loan, Mayotte said. Rather than “setting it and forgetting it,” she encourages borrowers to reevaluate when their financial situation improves.
Can I set up a payment plan for my student loans?
Yes, but some advocates encourage borrowers to wait for now, since there’s no financial penalty during the pause on payments and interest accrual.
That said, Katherine Welbeck of the Student Borrower Protection Center recommends logging on to your account and making sure you know the name of your servicer, your due date and whether you’re enrolled in the best income-driven repayment plan.
If your budget doesn’t allow you to resume payments, it’s important to know how to navigate the possibility of default and delinquency on a student loan. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.
If you’re in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance — allowing you to temporarily suspend payment.
How can I reduce costs when paying off my student loans?
• If you sign up for automatic payments, the servicer takes a quarter of a percent off your interest rate, Mayotte says.
• Income-driven repayment plans aren’t right for everyone. That said, if you know you will eventually qualify for forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, it makes sense to make the lowest monthly payments possible, as the remainder of your debt will be cancelled once that decade of payments is complete.
• Reevaluate your monthly student loan repayment during tax season, when you already have all your financial information in front of you. “Can you afford to increase it? Or do you need to decrease it?” Mayotte said.
• Break up payments into whatever ways work best for you. You could consider two installments per month, instead of one large monthly sum.
Are student loans forgiven after 10 years?
If you’ve worked for a government agency or a nonprofit, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.
Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the best possible income-driven repayment plan to qualify for these programs. You can find out more about those plans here.
Borrowers who have been defrauded by for-profit colleges may also apply for borrower defense and receive relief.
These programs won’t be affected by the Supreme Court ruling.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/F1AYPLV
Historically, the majority of Chicago voters often wait until Election Day to head to the polls.
And while the same may be true for the 2023 Chicago Municipal Election, early voting and vote-by-mail numbers so far are strong, election officials say.
“Early voting turnout has steadily been on the rise over the last few weeks,” said Marisel Hernandez, Chicago Board of Elections chairwoman said during a 6 a.m. press conference Tuesday. “We have received the highest amount of prelection voting we have ever seen for a municipal election.”
According to CBOE data, early vote totals recorded through Monday evening clocked in at 244,580 ballots cast. Of those, 131,806 were through early voting, and 112,774 were from vote-by-mail ballots.
However, with the total number of vote-by-mail applications at 213,617, more than 100,000 mail-in ballots are currently outstanding.
“Over 100,000 vote-by-mail ballots haven’t been returned,” Hernandez said. “We expect the majority of these ballots to come back today and in the next three to four days.”
Hernandez added that any ballots post-marked by Feb. 28 and received in the next two weeks “will be processed and counted.”
How 2023 Early Voter Turnout Compares to Previous Years
According to CBOE data, the early voter turnout numbers stand in stark contrast from previous municipal elections.
In 2019, one day out from the Feb. 25 municipal election, 165,025 early ballots had been cast.
For the municipal election in 2015, that number was even lower, at 113,770.
However, the majority of Chicago voters have chosen to cast their ballots on Election Day. In 2019, the total voter turnout was 35.45%. In 2015, the total turnout was 34.03%.
In 2011, that number was higher at 42.30%.
Currently, total voter turnout stands at 17.8%.
According to the Board, there are currently 1,581,564 registered voters in Chicago.
Voter Breakdown by Age Group and Ward
CBOE reports that voters between the ages of 55 and 74 years old are driving totals.
Chicago’s 19th Ward, which includes Beverly, Morgan Park, Kennedy Park and Mt. Greenwood, has the highest in-person early voter turn out so far, with 7,701 early ballots cast, data from the Board show.
When Will Mail-In Ballots, Early Voting Be Counted?
According to election officials, all early ballots cast and all vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Monday “will be included in Election Night results” as they roll in, beginning around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday.
“All Outstanding Vote By Mail Ballots received on Election Day (through Dropbox and through USPS) will not be counted by or reflected in the Election Night Results,” the CBOE says.
“All Vote By Mail Ballots properly postmarked by Feb. 28th arriving through the mail will be processed and counted on a rolling basis through March 14th. The Unofficial Election Results will be continually updated on a rolling basis as these ballots arrive, and as all Provisional Ballots counted,” an email from Election officials says.
In addition to the number of outstanding mail-in ballots, there is also the prospect of a recount if the results are tight. Under Chicago law, if a mayoral candidate finishes within 5% of second place in the Feb. 28 election, they could request a recount of ballots, which could cause the process to last even longer.
The certification of election results does not have to occur until March 21, just two weeks before the runoff on April 4.
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The nine candidates vying to become mayor of Chicago are making a last-minute effort to win over undecided voters with just hours until Tuesday’s election.
The majority of ballots are expected to be cast on Election Day, although more than 200,000 have already been submitted, according to data released Monday by the Chicago Board of Elections. While data has shown significantly higher early voting and mail-in turnout than in previous years, it’s uncertain if the increase will translate into a higher turnout on Election Day.
As of Sunday night, early voting totals stood at 209,820. One day prior to the 2019 municipal elections, 99,897 votes had been cast across the city. Early voting numbers in 2019 surpassed both the totals from the 2015 and 2011 elections.
