Evanston voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide the Cook County Board of Commissioners District 13 seat. Incumbent Josina Morita, a Democrat, faces Republican challenger Aasi Siddique.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Patch's Evanston election guide. The Cook County Clerk's elections page will post official results and election data once voting concludes.

The candidates

Morita has served as county commissioner since 2022, according to the Evanston Roundtable's ballot guide. She previously served as a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District from 2016 to 2022.

Siddique, a Chicago resident, is running as a Republican, according to Evanston Now.

The Chicago Tribune reported Oct. 31 that District 13 is among several "reliably blue districts" where Democratic incumbents are expected to win. No independent polling data for the race has been published.

What's at stake

The 17-member Cook County Board controls a multibillion-dollar budget that funds the county's health system, criminal justice operations and other services. The Tribune reported that the county's budget is "particularly threatened by cuts to Medicare" passed through federal legislation. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has warned that next year's county budget is likely to require new revenues absent federal relief, the Tribune reported.

Property taxes remain the top concern among constituents across board races, according to the Tribune. The County Board has not raised its levy except to capture new properties since the 1990s, but local school districts have increased theirs.

How to vote

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon's office noted that suburban Cook County early voting was running 30 percent ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial election in the days before the Nov. 3 vote.

The clerk's suburban offices will be closed on Election Day. Downtown offices at 118 N. Clark St. in Chicago will operate with limited staff.

Results will be posted at cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections after polls close at 7 p.m.