Chicago voters may use any Early Voting location in the city to cast their ballot for the November 3 General Election.

New this year, there will be secured Drop Boxes at every Early Voting site for any Chicago Vote By Mail voter to submit the signed and sealed Ballot Return Envelope. Ballots can be dropped off at any of the locations listed below and there will be a 24 hour drop box located at 69 W. Washington St. The 24 hour location will remain open through Election Day at 7:00pm.

Voters still have the option of using standard US Mail to return the Ballot Return Envelope. However, Alderman Reilly strongly encourages voters to use the Drop Boxes to ensure their ballot is received before Election Day.

Every voter is encouraged to wear a face mask that covers the mouth and nose, whether visiting for in-person Early Voting or to use a Secured Drop Box. Voters in line must practice social distancing with 6 feet (2 meters) of space between persons in line.

To be eligible to vote in the General Election individuals must be:

Furthermore, individuals do not need to declare a political party in order to vote. A standard ballot will be issued to each voter based on the voter’s address and the federal, state and local voting districts where the voter lives.

Any ballots that voters cast in Early Voting are final. After casting ballots in Early Voting, voters may not return to amend, change or undo a ballot for any reason. It is a felony to vote more than once — or to attempt to vote more than once — in the same election.

You do not need ID if you are already registered to vote AND your signature matches the one on file AND there are no questions about your registration. However, there are times when a government-issued photo ID is helpful, such as registering to vote or updating the name or address on your registration in person when you go to vote.

Registration services are available at every Early Voting site. Two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter’s current address, are needed to register for the first time or to file a name change or an address update.

Below is a list of the hours and locations of early voting sites in or near the 42nd Ward. For the full list of locations around the City, please click here.

October 14 – November 3 NOW OPEN

Loop Super Site (191 N. Clark St.)

Maggie Daley Park (337 E. Randolph St.)

Ogden Elementary School (24 W. Walton St.)

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click here. For more information about voting this November, please visit the Chicago Board of Elections website.

Open House Chicago is back with a reimagined event for 2020. The beloved architecture festival, hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center, will now span 10 days and more than 20 of Chicago’s unique neighborhoods. This year’s event includes both online and outdoor events that showcase the fascinating history, architecture, and culture of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

The free festival typically offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago, from iconic locations to under-the-radar architectural gems.

This year, the event has been reformatted for outdoor and online participation to accommodate for social distancing and ensure the safety of all participants. The Open House itineraries will focus less on specific sites and more on larger themes—forgotten or under-celebrated architects, how community areas develop specific architecture styles, and important places for understanding the city’s history. This year’s highlighted neighborhoods include an emphasis on the South and West sides.

Although visitors are prohibited from entering participating sites, the new OHC 2020 mobile app will offer location based experiences to enhance any site. Utilizing the Open House Chicago website and the OHC 2020 app, visitors will explore neighborhoods as never before.

For more information about Open House Chicago and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please visit their website by clicking here.

The deadline for entry extended to midnight 10-31!

With the health and safety of our neighbors and community partners in mind, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Halloween Family Festival in Ward Park. Instead, the RNRA is hosting a Virtual Halloween Costume Contest so that neighborhood kids and their families can still celebrate and enjoy the fun and excitement of the season.

CLICK HERE to visit the Contest Web Page

CLICK HERE to print a copy of this flyer.

What:  City of Chicago Annual Budget Address
When:  Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00am

The annual Budget Address will be given on Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00 am, along with the release of the Mayor’s 2021 Budget Recommendation. Facing the largest budget gap in the City’s history due to the overwhelming and persisting impacts of COVID-19, the Budget Address will detail the reforms, efficiencies and investments that make up the 2021 Budget.

To make the 2021 Budget process informative and inclusive even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City expanded its new community engagement and public education process beginning in late August with “Budget Week”, a weeklong series of virtual townhall meetings where Budget Director Susie Park sat down with key City leaders to review the critical functions of each department, update the public on key issues facing the City’s finances and respond to questions submitted by residents through the website portal. Budget engagement efforts also included an online survey also made available physically at Chicago Public Library locations.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the 2021 Budget.  Watch the Mayor’s Address online on Wednesday, October 21.

We can make a difference.  Join the Chicago Help Initiative online as they celebrate their 20th anniversary with the World Premier screening of a new documentary film,  I Have a Name. 

When:  Thursday, October 22, 2020 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. CT

Where:  online

I Have a Name tells the inspiring story of The Chicago Help Initiative (CHI) and its enduring mission to alleviate homelessness and hunger in Chicago. Written & directed by award-winning filmmaker Lucia Mauro, this 60-minute film, shot in and around Chicago over the past year, gives voice to people experiencing homelessness and hunger, and how we as a community come together to care, nourish and help one another.

Virtual Attendance is FREE.  A suggested donation of $100, or any amount, would greatly help CHI in continuing to serve much-needed meals and services to Chicagoans in need who are facing homelessness and hunger, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever you can spare, CHI is grateful for your support and generosity!

The event is FREE and open to the public, but you must register to attend!

 RSVP  or RSVP Donate

CLICK HERE to Watch the Trailer of  I Have a Name

The event will include brief opening remarks from CHI Founder Jacqueline C. Hayes, Executive Director Doug Fraser & Writer-Director Lucia Mauro; and a live, post-screening Q&A with our audience.

October is National Fire Prevention Month. This year’s theme, as chosen by the National Fire Prevention Association, is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries, and unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen. Help keep your home safe by changing the batteries in your smoke detector this month, and using the helpful tips for both adults and children found on the NFPA’s website.

The City of Chicago announced a plan to safely celebrate Halloween in Chicago that emphasizes social distancing and other safety precautions while allowing trick-or-treating and other fun activities throughout the week.

The City’s ‘Halloweek’ guidelines will allow for a responsible celebration spread out over a full week to minimize congregation, while calling on both children and adults to abide by COVID safety precautions that are keeping all of us protected and limiting the spread of the virus. ‘Halloweek’ activities will include safe trick-or treating along with Halloween-themed programs from the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library and other City departments and partners.

The City is offering specific guidance on how to trick-or-treat safely, including advising that trick-or-treating groups remain limited to six people or fewer and that trick-or-treaters stay on the move without congregating – which means more houses visited and more candy for all! People passing out candy are asked to try to socially distance while doing so, perhaps by using a tube or pipe to drop candy into trick-or-treaters’ bags from a distance. More guidelines can be found below:

Is your business or organization doing something special for Halloween? Fill out this form prior to October 18th, and the City will share your event with parents and families who are looking to make a plan to celebrate Halloween. Events can be in-person or virtual but must follow the Halloweek Safety Guidelines and occur between October 26th and 31st.

Additional Halloweek details will be announced in the coming weeks – visit ChicagoHalloweek.org to stay updated!

Modified Phase Four Reopening Guidelines Go Into Effect on Thursday, October 1 

Our downtown and neighborhood businesses are central to what makes our city great. These modified reopening guidelines will be a lifeline for thousands of businesses, but we must continue to follow critical health and safety guidelines while we move towards a reopened economy that works for our businesses and workers.

I introduced an ordinance last month that would have extended hours of operation for bars and restaurants from 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m., and would increase indoor capacity limits, allowing Chicago’s hospitality industry much-needed relief during this very challenging time.

The hospitality industry alone employs nearly 100,000 Chicagoans, and most of these businesses – whether downtown or in the neighborhoods – are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and closure.

These modifications will benefit business owners and their employees across all 50 wards of Chicago: offering these neighborhood bars and restaurants two additional hours to flip an additional table service, and to allow the liquor sales needed to help establishments simply break even again.

Restaurant and bar operators have told me that ending liquor sales at 11 p.m. is not profitable – they are losing money. By simply adding just two hours of liquor service (until 1:00 a.m.), these operators could actually turn a modest profit. Giving this industry just 120 minutes of additional liquor service can be the difference between survival and bankruptcy.

I am pleased that the City has proactively modified these guidelines and my ordinance is no longer required. Due to our continued improvement on COVID-19 health metrics, Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health have announced that the following changes will become effective Thursday, October 1st, at 5:00 am:

While enough progress has been made to ease certain restrictions, Chicago remains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls on all businesses and customers to continue following the phase four guidelines.

These changes build on Chicago’s status as one of the most open large cities in America and are possible due to continued improvement on crucial COVID health metrics, including a declining number of new daily cases, a test positivity rate now below 5% and the lowest rates of hospitalization and death in months.

Chicago is now seeing around 300 new COVID cases per day whereas in late August the city was over 350 cases per day and rising. Test positivity (the percentage of COVID tests with a positive result) has fallen to 4.5% and severe outcomes have also improved, with hospitalizations from COVID lower than they’ve been since March and deaths at an average of 2-3 per day, when they were around 50 per day at the peak of the pandemic.

In order to continue the significant progress, the following additional guidelines will also come into effect on Thursday, October 1st:

These new health and safety regulations are in addition to existing guidelines, including the requirement for diners to continue wearing face coverings when interacting with staff and for residential property managers to limit guest entry to five additional people for single-member households such that total indoor gatherings and parties do not exceed six people. BACP will continue enforcement of these guidelines.

To prepare all business owners for the new phase four guidelines and for the cold weather regulations, the City of Chicago will be hosting a series of webinars this week. To register and learn more, visit chicago.gov/businesseducation.

These restrictions, as part of Phase IV guidelines, are in effect until further notice. Continue checking the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date information.

Sincerely

Brendan Reilly

President Pro Tempore

Alderman, 42nd Ward