Election Update 2016

Take a look at Medill Reports Election Update 2016. Voting has been under way for a few hours. Our reporters talked to voters about how they’re feeling now that Election Day is finally here. More updates will be posted throughout the day. Posted at 1:50 p.m. CT

Smart phones may be dumbing down tolerance in a polarized election

Kelly on cell-phone

By Mariah Quintanilla With a polarized electorate decided the fate of the nation today, could smart phones have widened the divide? Voters and pundits alike are pondering the lack of trust between Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S. One recent study published in PLoS ONE reported a connection between cell phone use and lack […]

Photo Gallery: Election Day in Chicago

As polling stations opened for business on Tuesday morning, Medill reporters took to the streets of Chicago to capture the essence of what it meant for people across the city. From the South Side to the suburbs in the West, our reporters have been in the field chronicling one of the most watched elections in […]

Despite appeals, many black voters still lukewarm on Clinton

By Nia Prater and Yu-Ning Aileen Chuang A group of 10 to 12 people gathered on the third floor of the San Lucas United Church of Christ Sunday afternoon, not for worship, but for political action.  After making selections from a buffet table full of coffee, donuts and mandarin oranges, they assembled to discuss strategy. […]

Election got you stressed? Get a laugh from these Tweets

By Meredith Francis If laughter is the best medicine, then we could all use a heavy dose on this  Election Day. If the election is stressing you out, you’re not alone. Social media platforms have been as much as a battleground in the 2016 election as the debate stages. Candidates, other politicians and pundits have […]

Kirk makes hard push for finish line in Chicago

By Duke Omara In his final night of campaigning, U.S. Sen.  Mark Kirk (R-IL) met with a  group of Chicago area Asian-American leaders Monday and asked  them to return him  to Washington so he can continue championing the causes that propelled him to victory six years ago. “With just 24 hours to go, we can say […]

#WearWhiteToVote celebrates women’s suffrage struggle on Election Day

By Anna Foley Wearing white after Labor Day has long been considered  a fashion faux pas in many circles. Yet Paola Aguilar is donning the out-of-season style today for a very specific reason: to pay tribute to the feminist movement when she casts her vote in the 2016 election. “As a feminist, I believe that […]

It’s deja vu all over again in Dold/Schneider race that’s too close to call

By Sarah Haas and Nona Tepper The stakes are high in Illinois’ 10th Congressional District. That’s because incumbent Rep. Bob Dold and his Democratic challenger Brad Schneider are facing off once again, although their 2016 contest has proven to be different than their previous races in 2012 and 2014. Both candidates have overhauled their political […]

Behind the surge: Young Latinos can’t vote but urge others to do so

By Alex Ortiz  Inside a Target in suburban Bolingbrook, about seven volunteers call hundreds of eligible voters urging them to the polls Tuesday, even though, at 14 to 17, these young Latinas can’t vote themselves. “We’re not just sitting around and saying ‘Oh we don’t want this president,’” said Claudia Garcia, 14, a junior high […]