2025 Study Proposal: Mayoral Elections
At its March 11, 2025 meeting, the LWV Chicago Board of Directors voted to support a study to reevaluate LWV Chicago’s position on mayoral elections. LWV Chicago members will vote on whether to proceed with this study at the Annual Meeting on June 28, 2025.
The Chicago League’s positions on the election of alders and the election of mayors present a stark contrast. The League supports electing alders on nonpartisan ballots, but electing the mayor on a partisan ballot.¹ The League’s limited archives relative to the history of the dichotomy in positions raises more questions than answers. The League’s City Government Committee proposes this study. Marjy Gilbert, LWV Chicago Board Member & City Government Committee member, will chair the study if it is adopted at the Annual Meeting.
Proposed study:
Research the League’s historic position supporting partisan mayoral elections and study the pros and cons of revising the Chicago League’s position to support nonpartisan mayoral elections. Once the study is completed, hold a consensus meeting.
Action steps if adopted:
Publicize the study, inviting all members to join the study.
Review the materials recovered from the LWV Chicago archives at University of Illinois (Chicago) on the mayoral election position.
Research the Illinois and US League positions to determine if there are positions on elections relevant to the study.
Interview League members who participated in the 1976 study and the updates in 1988, 1990, 1991 & 2011, so we can discuss the issues with those with firsthand knowledge.
Review Chicago history relative to the 1983 election and the 1987 re-election of Mayor Harold Washington that the archives indicate influenced the League’s position.
Invite experts to address the pros and cons of partisan versus nonpartisan elections, including the relative costs of each system, whether having a partisan election promotes the two-party system, and any negative impact from changing our positron.
Consider the potential effect, if any, on our position supporting ranked choice voting.
Request participants in the study interview their alders and alders from the various caucus groups, (e.g., members of the City Council Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus), former IG Joseph Ferguson (currently head of Civic Federation), and others as merited.
Educate members with articles in the Weekly Update before holding a consensus meeting in 2026, if possible, but no later than 2027.
¹ LWVCHI 2023-2025 Where We Stand, p. 6, Representative Government/Election Laws / City Council Election, provides that “Alder[persons] should … be elected on a nonpartisan ballot ...” (adopted 1990, updated 1995 & 2011); Government Structure/City Government, p. 8, provides “[t]he mayor should be elected on a partisan ballot….” (adopted 1976, updated 1988, 1990, 1991 & 1995). (emphasis added)
Studies make League action uniquely credible and respected.