Election results will soon be pouring in in Chicago, but as the numbers begin to unfold for the hotly contested mayoral race, when will voters know if a winner could be crowned on election night or if a runoff election will take place?
With nine candidates on the ballot and polls showing no clear frontrunner in the race for the next mayor of Chicago, a runoff is likely, but many will be watching to see what happens with Election Day turnout lower than normal and early voting numbers reaching record levels.
But what exactly is a runoff, what will it take to force one and when might it take place?
Here's what voters should know:
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What is a runoff?
Runoff elections are held when no candidate secures the required majority of 50% of votes.
They are a second election that will determine which of the top two vote-getters will win a designated race.
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When will voters know if a runoff will take place?
According to CBOE data, a total of 112,774 mail-in ballots were returned by Monday night, and another 131,806 ballots were cast at early voting locations across the city.
That means that Chicagoans will know the results of nearly 250,000 votes within minutes of the closing of polls.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE ELECTION RESULTS AFTER POLLS CLOSE
While turnout on Election Day itself has been relatively “sluggish,” according to officials, further updates to vote totals may take a bit longer to put together. According to officials, any mail-in ballots that are received Tuesday, whether through the mail or at one of the 55 drop-off boxes situated across the city, will not be counted until Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for the board of elections anticipates that the board will be able to get most ballots counted within a matter of days, and that the board hopes to certify the results by mid-March at the latest.
Candidates who finish within five percentage points of a runoff spot can request a recount of ballots, according to officials.
So while some answers might be gleaned from election night, the full picture will take longer to reveal itself.
Have there been runoff elections in Chicago before?
Runoff elections are part of the electoral process in Chicago for municipal elections.
In the last two mayoral elections held in Chicago, two candidates from crowded fields advanced to a runoff election that ultimately decided the next mayor.
When did runoff elections start in Chicago?
The runoff format was first introduced in the city in the 1999 Chicago municipal elections.
Though the system was introduced in 1999, the first-ever runoff didn't actually happen until 2015, when incumbent Rahm Emanuel and Jesus Chuy García advanced to a second round as the top two vote-getters above Bob Fioretti and Willie Wilson, who also ran notable campaigns.
When would a runoff election take place in 2023 in Chicago?
The city has already slated April 4 as the date for a potential runoff election, should one be needed following the intitial Feb. 28 election.
