PEORIA/WASHINGTON/MORTON, Ill. – Voters across central Illinois are making their voices heard in Tuesday’s consolidated elections.
Votes will be cast in a wide range of races, including for mayors, city councils, school boards, townships.
In Peoria, residents will be voting whether or not they want to keep Rita Ali as mayor, or give at-large councilman John Kelly the city’s top job. There are also races in 4 of 5 city council districts.
Ann Bear is an election judge at Northwest United Methodist Church, and says turnout has come in waves throughout the day there.
“Well it was quite slow in the morning, nobody was here at 6:00 but us. And along about 10:00-10:30, there were a few more coming in. But lunch, at like 11:30 to 12:30 was our peak time, kind of,” Bare said.
Bare says more than 100 people showed up at the church through the morning, but expects turnout to increase in the late-afternoon hours.
Voters in Washington will be voting for a new mayor to lead the city, after current-mayor Gary Manier decided against running for re-election this year. There’s also a referendum to decide whether voters want to issue $23 million in bonds to fund a new Lincoln Grade School.
For Paul Johnson of Washington, getting to the polls is civic duty.
“I just think it’s important to make your voice heard when you have a local election, and you’re electing people that affect how your city runs,” Johnson said.
Peggy Sellars is the election judge coordinator at Morton’s Community United Church of Christ. She says one issue has been driving turnout at the polls there.
“It seems like it’s a very hot topic of making sure that everyone knows who’s on the school board, voting in the people that we want voted in, and there’s just been a good turnout for it,” Sellars said.
Sellars says it has been a smooth and steady day so far at her location, and anticipates more turnout to come later in the afternoon.
Polls close at 7:00 P.M.
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