Election 2021 - WGLT Voter Guide

The League of Women Voters of McLean County will likely launch a study later this year into the benefits and drawbacks of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for elections.

Four candidates won four open seats on the District 87 school board on Tuesday—although one of them received far fewer votes than the others.

Unlike most city and town council races Tuesday, township races were partisan. And in contests for Normal Township trustee, voters elected two Democrats and two Republicans.

It appears several newcomers will soon join the Bloomington City Council, while the progressive People First Coalition was shut out in its three council races.

It looks like that there won’t be any turnover on the Normal Town Council.

Two familiar faces and one newcomer were headed toward election to the Heartland Community College Board of Trustees late Tuesday.

Three newcomers were elected to the Unit 5 school board on Tuesday.

UPDATED 12:55 p.m. | Mboka Mwilambwe claimed victory Tuesday night after defeating two less-experienced opponents in the Bloomington mayoral election. He will become the city's first Black mayor.

McLean County voters are choosing mayors, city council members, school board members, and township officials in Tuesday's local election. Polls closed at 7 p.m.

Consolidated local elections typically produce a lower voter turnout than even-year elections like presidential cycles. Normally, only about 20% of registered voters cast ballots.

Candidates competing for three open seats on the Normal Town Council sparred Thursday over how best to handle town finances and infrastructure, future development, and whether divisive politics is tainting town governance.

Pantagraph Media hosted the forum, moderated by Central Illinois Editor Chris Coates. He asked candidates what they viewed as Normal’s recent successes, what policy ideas they’d bring to the table if elected, and how they’d prioritize infrastructure funding, among other questions.   

The three candidates for Bloomington mayor agree on the importance of supporting small businesses and encouraging economic development. But they are starkly divided over how recreational cannabis should figure in the city’s economic future.

Normal Town Council member Stan Nord has accused City Manager Pam Reece and Mayor Chris Koos of discriminating against him.

Tax rates are a campaign theme in most elections no matter the level of the contest. This year's race for mayor of Normal is no exception.

The Illinois attorney general has ruled the Town of Normal should not have barred citizen comment on an issue back in 2019. It's the second such ruling in a month.

The Pantagraph on Wednesday evening hosted a virtual forum for Bloomington City Council candidates. With contested seats in four wards, eight candidates fielded questions from moderator and central Illinois editor Chris Coates.

A District 87 school board candidate has distanced himself from another candidate who dropped out of the race after a history of offensive social media posts surfaced.