‘I think they're extremely important': Champaign Co. Clerk breaks down voter turnout in Consolidated Election
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Many spent Tuesday heading out to the polls to cast their ballots in this year's Consolidated Election. They're choosing who they want to lead their communities and schools, as well as where they want their tax dollars to go.
By 5 p.m. on Election Day, Aaron Ammons, the Champaign County Clerk, said about 6,000 people had voted in person that day and about 4,000 others voted early.
Once those ballots are counted, plus the ones in the mail, he estimates about 15-20% of voters will participate in this election, which is a pretty standard trend.
Champaign residents weigh property tax increase to benefit homeless shelter
This year, Ammons feels questions about the Champaign School Board and City Council are driving people to the polls.
'I think those are important for our community, for our citizens who live here, to talk to each other and have that direct contact because those policies impact you immediately at the local level,' he said. 'You're choosing your school board members, and your chiefs of police because city council members will vote on those things. These are things we talk about daily and I think they're extremely important.'
Voters hopeful election will rejuvenate Champaign school board
Locations across Champaign County are open until 7 p.m. Once they close, judges will begin counting. Ammons expects to have some unofficial results ready around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
39 minutes ago
- The Hill
Libertarian Party's 2024 VP nominee announces he's joining GOP
Mike ter Maat, who was the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee a year ago, announced Tuesday that he has joined the Republican Party in a move that he described as a 'a strategic shift – not a change in ideology.' 'The Republican Party will be the arena for the critical debate of the next political cycle,' ter Maat said in a statement on the switch. 'To strengthen our economy through free markets, unify our nation through the Constitution and protect our future through fiscal conservatism and a common-sense foreign policy, we must engage where it matters most.' Ter Maat was the running mate of Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver. The duo received less than half of a percent of the national vote and came in fifth, securing fewer votes than Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had withdrawn from the race before Election Day. Ter Matt said he is specifically aligning with the GOP's Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), which is made up of Republicans who have Libertarian-leaning views. The RLC in the past has backed candidates like former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and current Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. RLC chair John Dennis credited President Trump, who spoke at the Libertarian Party's convention last year, with bringing more third-party backers into the GOP, even as some of Trump's allies take aim at libertarian-leaning Republicans. 'The Republican Liberty Caucus is the right entry point for liberty Republicans, Libertarians and independents committed to the fight for constitutional governance,' Dennis said in a statement on ter Maat's announcement. 'The RLC is excited to fulfill this important role.'
New York Times
40 minutes ago
- New York Times
City Council Asks Watchdog to Investigate N.Y.P.D's Cooperation With ICE
The City Council requested on Tuesday that the city watchdog open an inquiry into how the Police Department under Mayor Eric Adams is sharing information with federal authorities amid President Trump's immigration crackdown. In a letter, the City Council cited news reports of cases that the Council said raised concerns about whether the police, intentionally or not, had violated New York City's sanctuary laws by sharing information with federal authorities that was used in civil cases regarding immigration enforcement. The letter to the New York City Department of Investigation was the latest escalation by the City Council as it scrutinizes the mayor's immigration policies and his support of some of the Trump administration's deportation efforts. Under the City Charter, the Department of Investigation is required to carry out reviews requested by the City Council. New York City's sanctuary laws limit cooperation between the city and the federal government on most immigration issues, which are largely civil matters. But the Police Department often assists federal law enforcement authorities with criminal cases, typically in joint investigations into sex trafficking, drug dealing and terrorism. In one case that drew scrutiny, the police provided federal investigators with information about Leqaa Kordia, 32, who had been arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University. Ms. Kordia, who is Palestinian, was not a Columbia student; federal agents told the police they were investigating her for money laundering after they detained her for overstaying her visa. 'New Yorkers must trust that their own city government will not participate in their civil rights being violated, and these recent episodes raise serious doubts that should be urgently addressed,' the letter from the City Council said. 'It is therefore imperative that any potential breaches by Mayor Eric Adams's administration and the N.Y.P.D. be investigated objectively and transparently.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Homeless people could be arrested after refusing three offers of shelter in Silicon Valley city
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Homeless people who reject three offers of shelter could be arrested under a controversial proposal before the city council of the most populous city in California's Silicon Valley on Tuesday. The proposal being pushed by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahon is eye-opening because it comes from a liberal city headed by a Democrat in the left-leaning San Francisco Bay Area. It is among the stricter anti-encampment deterrents proposed by elected officials since the Supreme Court in 2023 made it easier to ban homeless people from camping on public property. And it's another sign of just how frustrated people have become with squalid tents lining sidewalks and riverbanks, and erratic behavior of those using drugs or in distress in a state with an estimated 187,000 homeless people. California is home to roughly a quarter of all homeless people in the country. Mahan says most people do accept offers of shelter. But he wants to make clear to the small percentage of people who refuse, that as the city builds more shelter and interim housing, they have a responsibility to move indoors. 'I think we need a cultural change, a culture of accountability for everyone involved,' said Mahan. 'I don't want to use the criminal justice system to make vulnerable people's lives harder. I want to use it as a last resort.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and former mayor of San Francisco, has repeatedly urged cities to ban encampments. Arrests for illegal lodging have soared in San Francisco, and its current mayor, Daniel Lurie, has reiterated that it is not appropriate for people to live outdoors. Advocates for homeless people say cracking down on encampments is traumatizing and even counterproductive. Forcing a person to clear out sets them back in their search for stability as they could lose important documents needed to apply for work and housing, they said. 'Pushing people with mental health needs or drug addiction into incarceration — without any crime committed — is both inhumane and ineffective,' said Otto Lee, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, in a written statement emailed Monday to The Associated Press. Lee and other county leaders are opposed to the mayor's proposal. They say they need more housing, beds and services, and not punishment. The 'responsibility to shelter' proposal does not mandate an arrest after three rejected offers. After talking with the city attorney's office and police, Mahan said it made more sense to give front-line outreach workers and police officers discretion to decide when to escalate or prioritize a situation. The city will set up a new six-officer quality of life unit within the police department. 'We don't want to overly tie their hands and tell them this is the only way to do it,' the mayor said. People who repeatedly violate the city's encampment code of conduct — which also includes keeping tents free of trash and not blocking the public right of way — could be sent to a recovery center for detox or petitioned for court-mandated treatment to mental health and substance use disorder care, Mahan said. San Jose has nearly 1,400 shelter spots and hopes to add another 800 by the end of the year. Officials are aware they do not have enough beds, and Mahan said that people will not be punished if beds are unavailable or the only options are unsuitable.
