POST-ELECTION REPORT Inside the Numbers: Gubernatorial Primary Election Suburban Cook County March 18, 2014 Cook County Clerk David Orr cookcountyclerk.com COOK COUNTY CLERK DAVID ORR 69 W. Washington, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois 60602 TEL (312) 603-0996 FAX (312) 603-9788 WEB cookcountyclerk.com Dear Friends: The March 18, 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election was historic in many ways. We saw the highest number of registered voters ever recorded in suburban Cook County – 1,451,593. For the first time ever in Illinois, 17-year-olds were able to register and vote in the primary, and there was a higher percentage of Republican ballots cast than in any other gubernatorial primary. Some races, namely the U.S. Senate and Governor contests on the Republican ballot, generated keen interest, yet the majority of races were uncontested and overall turnout was its lowest ever at 16 percent. • While overall turnout was an historic low – 16 percent – many areas exceeded the more typical gubernatorial primary turnout rate of about 25 percent. Leyden Township Precinct 12, at the Margaret J. Lange Memorial Park in Rosemont, had 48 percent turnout and New Trier Township Precinct 43, at the Winnetka Presbyterian Church in Winnetka, had 41 percent turnout. • Of the 244 contests (Democratic and Republican), 181 were uncontested. • A 55 percent majority of suburban Cook County voters cast Republican ballots, compared to the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary when 35 percent took Republican ballots. • Cicero was the only township that did not see an increase in the percentage of Republican ballots cast from 2010 to 2014. • Bruce Rauner won every one of the county’s 30 suburban townships in the Republican primary, but only won 52 percent of the vote. • Turnout was highest – 64 percent, or 113 of 176 registered voters – in Lyons Township Precinct 30, at the Village of McCook Municipal Building where an annexation referendum was on the ballot. The vote ended in a 56-56 tie and the measure failed. • Another referendum that generated attention was in Evanston, where voters decided 64 percent to 36 percent to abolish the township government. • A record high number of suburban Cook County residents – 1,451,593 – were registered to vote, even though approximately 271,000 voters were scrubbed from the rolls. Another 33,000 had their voting status changed from “active” to “inactive” because they did not respond to a mail canvass. As always, this report, full election results and printable maps are available at cookcountyclerk.com. Sincerely, David Orr Cook County Clerk SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY POST-ELECTION REPORT March 18, 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election Table of Contents Record Low Turnout 1 • DEM - Cook County Board Map: Turnout of Registered Voters 2 of Commissioners 30-32 Record Number of Registered Voters 3 • DEM - County Board of Review, Historical Turnout by Party 4 3rd District 32 Partisan Turnout by Township 5 • DEM - Superintendents of Schools 32 Republican Turnout by Township vs. 2010 6 • DEM - Appellate Court Judges 32-33 Map: Ballots Cast by Party for Governor 7 • DEM - Circuit Court Judges 33-34 Map: Ballots Cast for Republican Senator 8 • DEM - Judicial Subcircuits 35-37 Oberweis Wins State, • DEM - Township Committeemen 37-41 Loses Suburban Cook County 9 • REP - U.S. Senator 41 Rauner Wins 52.5% of Suburban Cook Votes 10 • REP - Governor 41 Map: Ballots Cast for Republican Governor 11 • REP - Lieutenant Governor 41 Quinn Wins Every Suburban • REP - Attorney General 42 Cook County Township 12 • REP - Secretary of State 42 Top 25 Precincts by Voter Turnout 13 • REP - Comptroller 42 Pre-Election Day Voting Shows • REP - Treasurer 42 Steady Growth 14 • REP - Rep. in Congress 42-43 Summary Report • REP - State Senator 44-45 • Ballots Cast 15 • REP - Rep. in General Assembly 45-52 • DEM - U.S. Senator 15 • REP - Water Reclamation Commissioner 52 • DEM - Governor 15 • REP - President, Cook County Board of • DEM - Lieutenant Governor 15 Commissioners 52 • DEM - Attorney General 15 • REP - County Clerk 52 • DEM - Secretary of State 15 • REP - County Sheriff 52 • DEM - Comptroller 15 • REP - County Treasurer 53 • DEM - Treasurer 15 • REP - County Assessor 53 • DEM - Rep. in Congress 16-17 • REP - Cook County Board • DEM - State Central Committeemen of Commissioners 53-55 and Committeewomen 17-20 • REP - County Board of Review, • DEM - State Senator 20-21 3rd District 55 • DEM - Rep. in General Assembly 21-28 • REP - Superintendents of Schools 55 • DEM - Water Reclamation • REP - Appellate Court Judges 55-56 Commissioner 29 • REP - Circuit Court Judges 56-57 • DEM - President, Cook County Board • REP - Judicial Subcircuits 57-59 of Commissioners 29 • REP - Township Committeemen 59-63 • DEM - County Clerk 29 • GRN - Rep. in Congress 63 • DEM - County Sheriff 29 • GRN - Township Committeemen 63 • DEM - County Treasurer 29 • Winnetka Village Trustee 64 • DEM - County Assessor 29 • Referenda 64-82 RECORD LOW TURNOUT IN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY Suburban Cook County voter turnout fell to an all-time low for a gubernatorial primary election at just 16 percent. While non-presidential years always draw fewer voters, lackluster participation can also be attributed to the absence of major Democratic primary contests and a high percentage (75%) of uncontested races. Gubernatorial Primary Election Turnout: 1990-2014 Year Registered Voters Ballots Cast Turnout 1990 1,248,996 377,715 30.2% 1994 1,270,171 355,620 28.0% 1998 1,348,524 322,970 23.9% 2002 1,313,943 438,844 33.4% 2006 1,383,846 345,970 25.0% 2010 1,439,415 367,688 25.5% 2014 1,451,593 232,088 16.0% Suburban Cook County Turnout in Gubernatorial Primary and General Elections 70.0% 60.0% 52.8% 53.9% 52.5% 49.7% 51.1% 49.7% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 33.4% 30.2% 28.0% 25.5% 20.0% 23.9% 25.0% 16.0% 10.0% 0.0% 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 Primary General 1 Turnout of Registered Voters by Precinct March 18, 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election Cook County, Illinois Barrington Palatine Wheeling Northfield New . Trier Evanston Maine Niles Hanover Schaumburg Elk Grove 49 50 41 40 48 39 41 45 Norwood 47 46 Park 33 38 36 30 44 35 Leyden 31 32 1 43 26 % Turnout 37 River Forest Oak 27 42 Park 28 <10% 29 2 Proviso 24 Chicago n 25 y w Cicero 11 - 15% r Riverside e 22 B 12 11 16 - 20% 3 4 Stickney 14 23 21 - 25% 16 Lyons 20 15 5 13 >25% Stickney 17 18 6 8 7 21 Indicates Forest Preserve Area 19 Worth Palos 34 10 9 Lemont Calumet Orland Bremen Thornton The numbers on the Chicago portion of the map indicate each Chicago ward. City of Chicago precinct data provided by the Chicago Board of Rich Bloom Elections Commissioners. For further election results, please visit www.cookcountyclerk.com for suburban Cook County, and www.chicagoelections.com for the City of Chicago. David Orr Cook County Clerk 2 RECORD NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS The 2014 Gubernatorial Primary had a record number of suburban Cook County registered voters. This was nearly 13,000 more voters than the previous record of 1,439,415 set in the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary. The Cook County Clerk’s office also expunged over 271,000 voters from the rolls by utilizing various tools such as death records and the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address (NCOALink) dataset. The voter rolls got a boost from 17-year-olds, who for the first time in Illinois history, could vote in a primary election if they would be 18 by the November 4, 2014 General Election. Nearly 5,500 new 17-and 18-year-old voters registered through events held at 89 suburban Cook County high schools. Registered Voters in Suburban Cook County Election Registered Voters Ballots Cast Turnout 2014 Gubernatorial Primary 1,452,593 232,088 16.0% 2012 Presidential General 1,416,811 1,001,693 70.7% 2012 Presidential Primary 1,394,649 329,537 23.6% 2010 Gubernatorial General 1,370,186 719,090 52.5% 2010 Gubernatorial Primary 1,439,415 367,688 25.5% 2008 Presidential General 1,436,210 1,056,242 73.5% 2008 Presidential Primary 1,350,580 585,449 43.3% 2006 Gubernatorial General 1,370,230 680,696 49.7% 2006 Gubernatorial Primary 1,383,846 345,970 25.0% 2004 Presidential General 1,378,159 1,024,867 74.3% 2004 Presidential Primary 1,295,632 406,115 31.3% 2002 Gubernatorial General 1,365,947 697,872 51.1% 2002 Gubernatorial Primary 1,313,943 438,844 33.4% 2000 Presidential General 1,308,940 954,769 72.9% 2000 Presidential Primary 1,219,409 282,041 23.1% 1998 Gubernatorial General 1,262,137 680,917 53.9% 1998 Gubernatorial Primary 1,348,524 322,970 23.9% 1996 Presidential General 1,328,808 872,447 65.7% 1996 Presidential Primary 1,216,588 309,772 25.5% 1994 Gubernatorial General 1,272,630 632,598 49.7% 1994 Gubernatorial Primary 1,270,171 355,620 28.0% 1992 Presidential General 1,399,886 1,062,229 75.9% 1992 Presidential Primary 1,185,460 476,517 40.2% 1990 Gubernatorial General 1,245,107 657,674 52.8% 1990 Gubernatorial Primary 1,248,996 377,715 30.2% 3 HISTORICAL TURNOUT BY PARTY Democratic vs. Republican Ballots in Suburban Cook County 1992-2014 500,000 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 DEM 200,000 REP 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 Except for the March 1996 presidential primary and this year’s gubernatorial primary, the majority of ballots cast in suburban Cook County have been Democratic in every election since at least 1992.