Electoral Reform

The Problem

Chicago’s electoral system faces significant challenges that hinder voter participation and weaken democratic representation. Low turnout in municipal elections, often held in off-cycle years, limits engagement and leaves many voices unheard. The current runoff election system is costly and time-consuming, often resulting in a winner who lacks broad support. Alarmingly, many races go uncontested, depriving voters of meaningful choices and reducing accountability for elected officials. Additionally, the process of drawing district boundaries remains vulnerable to political manipulation, allowing gerrymandering to distort representation and dilute the power of voters. These systemic issues undermine the legitimacy of our democracy and prevent Chicagoans from having a government that truly reflects their will.

The Solution: Electoral Reform

1. End Runoff Elections: Eliminate the runoff election system and introduce ranked-choice voting to ensure every vote counts and the winner has a true mandate.

2. Increase Voter Turnout: Move municipal elections to November in presidential election years to increase voter participation and engagement.

3. End Gerrymandering: Establish an independent commission to end gerrymandering ahead of the next census, ensuring fairer, more equitable representation for all Chicagoans.

Sources

FairVote. How Ranked Choice Voting Works. 

Laurence, Justin (2024). Block Club Chicago. The City's Ward Boundares Are Decided By A Few Powerful Aldermen. What If Maps Were Drawn "For Chicagoans, By Chicagoans" Instead?

Shulte, Sarah (2023). ABC 7 Chicago. Did you vote? Only 35% of Chicago residents turned out to vote in runoff election.