Morning Spin: Busy pre-election weekend sees heavy early voting turnout in Chicago, Cook County Chicago Tribune staff Privacy Policy ...
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Topspin
While candidates and their political operations pushed to get their supporters to the polls over the weekend, early voting was hot again as people at times stood in long lines to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.
In Cook County and Chicago alone, nearly 80,000 people voted this weekend, according to the Cook County clerk̢۪s office and the Chicago Board of Elections.
Suburban Cook County voters cast 39,805 early votes over the weekend â€" 22,275 on Saturday and 17,530 on Sunday. Among the busiest towns were Evanston, with 2,313 early voters over the weekend, Arlington Heights with 1,730 and Palatine with 1,638, according to the clerk’s office.
So far, more than a million voters statewide have cast ballots leading up to Tuesday̢۪s election.
That̢۪s compared with about 790,000 people across the state casting their ballots in person or via mail before Election Day in 2014, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. About 1.9 million ballots were cast before Election Day 2016.
What̢۪s on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to visit a business headquarters being built and to check on its progress.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner has a campaign stop scheduled in Spring Grove and an evening rally at Benedictine University in Lisle.
*J.B. Pritzker has campaign stops scheduled in Rockford, Moline, Belleville, Marion, Springfield and Peoria with other candidates on the Democratic ticket, including attorney general hopeful Kwame Raoul and Treasurer Mike Frerichs.
*Erika Harold has campaign stops scheduled in Bloomington, Marion, Granite City, Quincy and Rockford before joining up with the statewide ticket for a rally at Benedictine University in Lisle.
*Democrat Sean Casten was scheduled to talk with voters in Barrington.
From the notebook
*Keepin̢۪ the story straight: Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continued giving different stories last week over whether he had OK̢۪d that controversial ad showing a character saying a bleeped F-word to describe the fate of Illinois if Democrat J.B. Pritzker becomes governor.
On Thursday, appearing on Peoria’s WMBD-TV, Rauner said of the ad: “We did approve that ad. Obviously that’s not language that I personally use, but the ad was designed to cut through the clutter.â€
The day before, Rauner told WGN-AM 720 host Steve Cochran of the ad: “Well, it didn’t come from me.â€
A week earlier, Rauner told Springfield’s WFMB-AM 1450: “I signed off on that ad because the truth has to get out.†(Rick Pearson)
What we̢۪re writing
*In Chicago, former President Barack Obama campaigns for Illino is Democratic ticket, says ‘don’t be bamboozled’ by GOP rhetoric.
*Kwame Raoul gets late support amid concerns of attorney general race tightening â€" including $1M check from House Speaker Michael Madigan.
*Amid talk of a potential blue wave, Democrats already have begun to turn the tide in GOP suburbs.
*Obama in Gary: ‘We need leaders who will actually stand up for what is right.’
*Testimony of inmate who claims Burge detectives dangled him out window used on behalf of another man seeking new trial.
*Speaker Paul Ryan in Chicago suburbs touts fellow Republican Randy Hultgren â€" and Packers.
*Video clip leaks of state Comptroller Susana Mendoza announcing run for Chicago mayor.
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel def ends his administration̢۪s handling of water meter test results.
What we̢۪re reading
*The Tribune misses you, Billy Goat Tavern. Who will be drinking in your new party room?
*‘Saturday Night Live’ returns with commentary on the migrant caravan and a dig at Alec Baldwin.
*Chicago won̢۪t auction off Kerry James Marshall painting after all.
*Bears check most of the boxes in their obliteration of the Bills before a key stretch of games.
Follow the money
*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.
Beyond Chicago
*Migrant caravan trudges through ‘route of death’ in Mexico.
*Trump presidency faces high stakes in midterm elections.
*Obama, Trump offer dueling final pitches to midterm voters.
*Here̢۪s what Russians have been up to ahead of the midterm elections.
*Mayor of Utah city killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan.
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