High South Loop Voter Turnout by Roger Marsh, South Loop Neighbors

Voters in the South Loop voted in the November 2018 elections at a higher rate than their counterparts in the rest of Chicago.  In the precincts of the 3^rd, 4^th, and 25^th Wards that are in the South Loop, bounded by the Loop, Lake Michigan, Chicago River, and the Stevenson Expressway, 73.86 % of registered voters cast ballots.  This compares with an average of 65.47% across all of the three wards and 60.67% across the entire city, according to figures provided by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.  Lower turnout rates elsewhere in the city means that South Loop voters had a higher impact on election results.

In the 3^rd Ward, average turnout was 65.00%, but 71.63%

in the 15 precincts between Roosevelt Road and the Stevenson.   In the 4^th Ward, average turnout was 71.57%, but 78.18% in the 8 precincts north of Roosevelt Road.  In the 25^th Ward, average turnout was 58.76%, but 72.82% in the one precinct east of the Chicago River.

If all of the three wards had voted at the same turnout rate as their South Loop precincts, an additional 8445 votes would have been cast.  Across the City of Chicago, the South Loop turnout rate would have generated 180,904 additional votes.  These figures might be of interest to candidates running in both ward and city-wide contests in the upcoming municipal elections on February 26^th.  The 24 South Loop precincts tend to have different demographics than the rest of their wards and could provide candidates with unique campaign opportunities.