Increase the Turnout: Get Out and Vote

Tired of political mud-slinging? Street corners peppered with election yard signs? It will all be over Tuesday.

residents, you will soon get a reprieve from cold calls made by teams of political supporters, town forums and candidates' letters clogging up their mailboxes, asking for a vote. So we’re asking that you do your part today to bubble in the circles for your favorite candidates on the ballot.

Election judges will rise early to staff the polls at churches, VFW halls and local schools for the 2010 midterm election. Naperville polling places, as well as those throughout Illinois, are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Naperville residents will be casting votes Tuesday for , , Park District board and and . Seats on the College of DuPage Board also are in the hands of voters.

Most of Naperville will be casting ballots in DuPage County, though residents south of 87th Street will vote in Will County.

Historically, voters shy away from the polls during elections that don’t feature much-hyped national or state races. The 2009 municipal election only brought out 18 percent—that’d score you a very low F on an exam— of voters in DuPage and Will counties. the November gubernatorial and congressional election brought almost 52 percent, according to the DuPage County Election Commission.

There are 559,000 voters registered in DuPage County alone. You do the math.

Basically, we expect better from the residents here, who are notoriously participatory, engaged and fueled with civic duty. The power is in your hands to change the numbers and surprise the political analysts. Get to the polls. Bring your family and encourage your friends. Vote early, just not often.

Who’s running in your own back yard?

• Naperville mayoral election

You’ll have the choice of three candidates—incumbent and City Councilmen and .

• Naperville City Council

Residents have a repertoire of choices when it comes to who they’d like to land in four open four-year seats on the board. Incumbents include , and . Other challengers are Charles Schneider, , , , Joe McElroy, , , and Ben Gross. John Adair announced last month that although his name will still appear on the ballot, he has dropped out of the race.

Three seats on the board are up for a vote. The five vying for them are incumbents , and . Other hopefuls are and Jay Fisher.

There is a trio of open seats on this board too. Candidates include incumbents and as well as newbies , and .

For more information on each of these candidates, election videos and more, visit our .

Finding your polling place

If you don't know where to vote, check your voter's registration card to find out in which precinct you live. You also can plug in your address at eVoter Illinois to determine the polling place where you will be voting as well as view a sample ballot customized to your area and address. Users can print the sample ballot and take it with them to their polling place.

The also has a list of precincts and polling places available on its Web site or by calling Naperville city clerk's office 630-305-5300. Staff there can look up your address and tell you where to go to vote in Naperville.

Where to report voter fraud

Both the DuPage County clerk and Will County clerk offices will be fielding calls from voters until the polls close Tuesday. The offices provide the following phone numbers:

• The DuPage County Election Commission can be contacted via telephone, fax, TDD (hearing impaired), e-mail and through a convenient electronic form provided on its Web site.
• For general questions in DuPage County, call 630-407-5600. TDD (hearing impaired) can be reached at 630-407-5631.
• Will County voter services are available by calling 815-740-4782.
• To report voter fraud and other irregularities, call the DuPage County clerk's office at 630-407-5600 or the Will County clerk's office at 815-740-4794.

Information about the above services as well as ballot and candidate background also can be obtained by visiting the DuPage County and Will County Web sites. Both will be tracking suburban races after the polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

End note

As a voter, you have the right to bring any materials with you into the voting booth, including sample ballots, newspaper endorsements and judicial recommendations.

Whatever you're doing Tuesday, take the time to vote.