Protesters inside shut down Trump rally, ‘take back’ Chicago

By Aryn Braun Four days before Tuesday’s primary election, Chicago dumped Donald Trump. Instead of the Trump rally at UIC Pavilion going as planned Friday evening, thousands of protesters went undercover, posing as Trump supporters to gain entrance and blindsiding those thousands who were excited to see their candidate speak. ‘We have a large city […]

Strategists unpack voting blocs key to presidential election

By Hannah Rank Political strategists grappled Thursday night with the potential outcomes of this surprising presidential election, yet concluded it may be a more conventional race than believed; hopefuls on both sides of the aisle must ultimately engage a growing core of young voters and, most importantly, must engage people of color. “When you’re young, […]

Chicago’s homeless discouraged from voting in primaries

Garland Arnold

By Harry Huggins While Chicagoans line up next Tuesday to vote in the presidential primaries, those who suffer from policy and market failures will be on the streets and in shelters. In 2013, former Governor Pat Quinn signed the Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless, which includes the right to vote, register to vote […]

Korean-translated ballots are being readied for debut in March 15 Illinois primary

By Colin Mo When Cook County votes in the March 15 primary, Korean-Americans living in Cook County will for the first time have the option to use ballots that are translated into Korean, and the Chinese community is primed to help them with the transition. “The Chinese community stands by the Korean community, and we […]

Advocacy groups leverage growing Illinois Hispanic voting bloc

Naturalization Ceremony

By Hannah Rank The consistently growing population of Hispanics in Illinois, paired with an unprecedented number of eligible voters, have local activists involved in Hispanic outreach looking for ways to engage this voting bloc. “This is something we’ve been anticipating for a very long time,” Celina Villanueva, who runs voter engagement programming at the Illinois […]

Civil Rights Legend: Black Lives Mattered — Then and Now

By Jasmine M. Ellis In the age of Black Lives Matter and #SayHerName movements, America’s current racial climate eerily mirrors its past, according to renowned civil rights activist Diane Nash. “My contemporaries had you in mind when we reacted,” said Nash, keynote speaker for Northwestern University’s campus observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday […]

Ballots in Korean for March 15 primary expected to increase participation

By Jenny Lee Korean-Americans in Chicago and suburban Cook County can no longer ascribe their low participation in elections to what usually is the biggest challenge for many minority language speakers – reading and speaking in English. Prior to the 2016 Presidential election, The Chicago Board of Election and The Cook County Clerk decided to […]