New voter cards, some indicating new wards and precincts, were mailed Wednesday to about 1.3 million Chicago voters.
It’s one of the first concrete side effects from this year’s ward re-mapping, approved earlier this year. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners said about 300,000 registered voters will be effected and see a change on their cards.
The new map has left many with mixed emotions.
Aldermen have said they can’t figure out which ward they’re supposed to represent: the ward in which they were elected last year, or the ward in which they’ll be running for re-election in four years.
"The truth of the matter is people should be upset with this map because it excluded them from the process," said Ald. Bob Fioretti in January.
Since the new City Council was sworn in last May, re-districted Chicagoans may spend three years and three months represented by an alderman for whom they were unable to vote.
The map was not scheduled to take effect until 2015 when aldermen are sworn into office, but residents get an early peek at their new wards as they will be used in the Nov. 6 General Election.
