{"id":38147,"date":"2016-03-15T21:46:51","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T02:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=38147"},"modified":"2016-03-16T07:34:47","modified_gmt":"2016-03-16T12:34:47","slug":"what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"What matters to Chicago voters in 2016?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Max Greenwood and Aryn Braun<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Photos by Raquel Zaldivar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dropcap\">Voters from around Chicago flocked to precincts Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2016 primary elections. But what\u2019s driving them to the polls? Medill Reports asked Chicagoans what issues they think are important and what voting means to them.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38165 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160311-voter-profiles_-11_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Earl Moore\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160311-voter-profiles_-11_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160311-voter-profiles_-11_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160311-voter-profiles_-11_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160311-voter-profiles_-11_cc_v2.jpg 1700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Earl Moore, 21<\/strong><br \/>\nEnglewood<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No. 1 one is, do I trust the people that I voted for to do right? I want someone to focus on education, on keeping the price down. I&#8217;m a student. There is no reason why we should be paying the price of a new car to get something they say we are required to have. But it&#8217;s costing us $30-, $40-, $50-, $60,000 to do that.<\/p>\n<p>Another issue is economic development in communities that don&#8217;t have much representation, or don&#8217;t have the income that they need to thrive or even just survive. I guess that ties in with education. The opportunity to improve your life, for people to improve their lives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38169 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-58_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Bernarnda &quot;Bernie&quot; Wong\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-58_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-58_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-58_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-58_cc_v2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bernarnda \u201cBernie\u201d Wong, 72<\/strong><br \/>\nBridgeport<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For years and years, the Chinese have been contributing members of the community. These last few years, we finally got this whole area redistricted, so that we can be one block.<\/p>\n<p>In Chicago, I guess that\u2019s how it works, you know, it\u2019s a big machine, politics. We want to tell whoever the establishment is that it\u2019s time for the Chinese to speak up. I\u2019ve worked 37 years in this community. I got up at 3:30 a.m. today, and I\u2019m 72 years old and I have a cough, and in spite of all that I got up and I do this because I feel this is extremely important.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38170 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-71_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Jose Medina\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-71_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-71_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-71_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-71_cc_v2.jpg 1550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jose Medina, 24<\/strong><br \/>\nHumboldt Park<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want my mom paying too much for her medicine. She used to work for the government, she put in her time, she worked hard. I want to make sure she\u2019s taken care of. That\u2019s the big thing, right? We got to take care of our own.<\/p>\n<p>We also got to do something about the police. You hear about it more and more, that the situation is out of control. It\u2019s ridiculous. We\u2019re always hearing about people getting shot, getting hurt or killed by police. And it\u2019s not just here, it\u2019s everywhere. That\u2019s something the president needs to go after.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38168 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-33_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Teara Maggett\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-33_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-33_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-33_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-33_cc_v2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Teara Maggett, 29<\/strong><br \/>\nRoseland<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust watching the news, every day you see something about laws being changed, things being cut. It feels like they\u2019re cutting everything, like childcare. Just seeing friends and neighbors, it\u2019s hard. They can\u2019t afford childcare; they don\u2019t make enough. What they do make goes to paying bills, so you have people who lose their job, quit their job to take care of their kids.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m asking myself, \u2018Who\u2019s going to continue to make everything better after Obama?\u2019 I think Obama\u2019s doing a good job, and we need someone here who\u2019s going to keep up that work. We need someone who, you know, wants to make sure people have their basic needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38176 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-165_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Donovan Keen\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-165_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-165_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-165_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-165_cc_v2.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donovan Keen, 19<\/strong><br \/>\nSouth Loop<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Now that I\u2019m actually of age to vote, and I know that a lot of people don\u2019t vote, I think it\u2019s kind of a waste if I pass it up because I\u2019m too lazy or just decide I don\u2019t have the time to do it.<\/p>\n<p>It feels good that I\u2019ve actually done something productive. I know that I could have stayed home and played video games or typed a paper, but I took the time to actually come and do this.<\/p>\n<p>I have a couple friends who are still not voting yet or have decided not to. They just don\u2019t care or they\u2019re not registered and don\u2019t want to go through the hassle of getting registered, even though it doesn\u2019t really take that much.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38174 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-140_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Lisa Anderson\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-140_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-140_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-140_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-140_cc_v2.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lisa Anderson, 25<\/strong><br \/>\nGold Coast<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have a sister who\u2019s in school studying journalism right now, and I know she is going to have a ton of loans by the time she graduates. I was fortunate that I was able to get a job after college and actually pay off my student loans at a reasonable time, but I know that\u2019s not the case for most people and it costs way more to go to college now than it did in the past for our parent\u2019s generation, so making college more affordable is a big one for me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38166 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-13_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Justin Collins\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-13_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-13_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-13_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-13_cc_v2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Justin Collins, 47<\/strong><br \/>\nRoseland<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Voting is the democratic way. It\u2019s &#8217;bout the best way I know of right now to get things done that you need to get done. The first time I voted I was elated, I was beside myself. I didn\u2019t know what to do; 1978 was the first time I was able to vote. Just turned 18 years old, and I was able to show my power. I was always watching my elders go to vote, which I was too young to do at the time and I couldn\u2019t wait for my opportunity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38173 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-117_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Darlene Ostrowski\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-117_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-117_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-117_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-117_cc_v2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Darlene Ostrowski, 44<\/strong><br \/>\nUptown<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to support a candidate who isn\u2019t part of the system, who isn\u2019t part of the political machine, who actually cares about people and what we\u2019re going through. Someone who pays attention to the fact that people are struggling money-wise.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m concerned with the economy, with jobs. People are struggling, my family has been struggling, and it seems like everyone we know is struggling financially. I think we\u2019re at a point where we need someone who will stand up and say that this isn\u2019t OK\u00a0and that we need major changes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38167 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-22_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Edith Nelson\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-22_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-22_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-22_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-22_cc_v2.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Edith Nelson, 55<\/strong><br \/>\nRoseland<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just had a child that graduated last year from the University of Chicago and can\u2019t find a job. But we still got to pay the loans back. The way the election is going right now, it\u2019s a mess. We need to be coming together, not falling apart. It\u2019s like we\u2019ve gone back 50 years. You know, the country is diversifying. We need someone who respects that diversity; that actually addresses racism and tries to bring us all together.<\/p>\n<p>Even if there was a bad candidate, I\u2019ve always voted. If you don\u2019t vote, it\u2019s like a no vote. I\u2019m just one person, but, you never know, it might be the one vote to put them over, to decide the winner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38172 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-107_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Robert Cannata\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-107_cc_v2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-107_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-107_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-107_cc_v2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Robert Cannata, 30<\/strong><br \/>\nUptown<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s our civic duty. If you want to be able to bitch and moan later on about it, you gotta be able to say you participated. It\u2019s the only time people actually have power. I\u2019ve participated in every election cycle since I was 18.<\/p>\n<p>For me, it\u2019s always the struggle between the haves and the have-nots. I think we the people are losing a lot of power, our rights are being eroded, and we just have to fight back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38171 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-84_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Alexis Alb\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-84_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-84_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-84_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-84_cc_v2.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Alexis Alb, 32<\/strong><br \/>\nHumboldt Park<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis whole American Dream thing, like, it not being this thing that people just vote for but actually being able to work and earn a paycheck and send your kids to school and take care of your family if you put in an honest day\u2019s work. That\u2019s important for me. Better schools, better social systems, better support for people when they need help.<\/p>\n<p>The economy is No. 1 right now, I think. Creating equal opportunities for everybody is something that we should be working toward. We need to steer the conversation toward that, toward making, you know, that American Dream actually achievable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38175 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-148_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Antonio Foster\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-148_cc_v2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-148_cc_v2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-148_cc_v2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/20160315-voter-profiles_-148_cc_v2.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Antonio Foster, 18<\/strong><br \/>\nRoseland<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019m 18, I figured this is something you gotta do, and everyone does it. It\u2019s just a part of everyday life. You have to vote for your leaders. It feels pretty good, you know? The whole thought of voting for someone to lead you to represent your voice? It\u2019s very weird.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m actually considering becoming a police officer. I definitely believe that there is a sense of corruption within the police force, and that\u2019s part of the reason why I want to join is to put a stop to that. I know I won&#8217;t stop it, but I\u2019ll make somewhat of a change. These past few months with the incidents that have happened, it\u2019s been very eye-opening for everyone, but I\u2019m very optimistic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"featurecaption\">Photo at top: Chicago voters cast their ballots March 15 in Illinois&#8217; primary election. Medill Reports asked those voters what issues drove them to the polls. (Raquel Zaldivar\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Max Greenwood and Aryn Braun Photos by Raquel Zaldivar Voters from around Chicago flocked to precincts Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2016 primary elections. But what\u2019s driving them to the polls? Medill Reports asked Chicagoans what issues they think are important and what voting means to them. Earl Moore, 21 Englewood &#8220;No. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":188,"featured_media":38204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1145,766,30,585],"tags":[2384,1245,678,2387,2286,2382,677,1172,192,2383,2388,2385,2306,2386],"class_list":["post-38147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-election-2016","category-election2016","category-public-affairs","category-winter-2016","tag-bridgeport","tag-clinton","tag-election-2016","tag-gold-coast","tag-humboldt-park","tag-illinois-primary","tag-politics","tag-primary","tag-promo","tag-roseland","tag-sander","tag-south-loop","tag-trump","tag-uptown"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What matters to Chicago voters in 2016? - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What matters to Chicago voters in 2016? - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Max Greenwood and Aryn Braun Photos by Raquel Zaldivar Voters from around Chicago flocked to precincts Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2016 primary elections. But what\u2019s driving them to the polls? Medill Reports asked Chicagoans what issues they think are important and what voting means to them. Earl Moore, 21 Englewood &#8220;No. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-03-16T02:46:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-03-16T12:34:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/2_voter-profile_cover.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1038\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"maxgreenwood\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"maxgreenwood\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/\",\"name\":\"What matters to Chicago voters in 2016? - Medill Reports Chicago\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/2_voter-profile_cover.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-03-16T02:46:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-03-16T12:34:47+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/#\/schema\/person\/0e996025195070244b43367bce60dc6e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-matters-to-chicago-voters-in-2016\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/2_voter-profile_cover.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/2_voter-profile_cover.jpg\",\"width\":1038,\"height\":576,\"caption\":\"Photo at top: Chicago voters cast their ballots March 15 in Illinois' primary election. 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