Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

*** LIVE *** Statewide and congressional election results

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This post will be handled a little differently than the legislative race results post. We’ll have Illinois Election Data’s automated results for the statewide contests, followed by congressional results and the statewide constitutional amendment referendum results via ScribbleLive. Again, there is no reason to refresh this page. It should all update on its own.

Live BlueRoomStream video from Leslie Munger’s HQ is here. Live BlueRoomStream video from Susana Mendoza’s HQ is here.

Tonight’s results are brought to you by the BEST Coalition…

Exelon’s $15 billion rate hike could push companies to jump the border. Don’t let Exelon’s greed cost Illinois jobs. https://t.co/4do9VE9yzK pic.twitter.com/jx5m96enHl

— BEST Coalition (@BESTcoalition) November 9, 2016

* Statewide results and congressional results…

via ScribbleLive…

4 Comments

*** LIVE *** State legislative election results

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If all goes as planned, Illinois Election Data’s info will update automatically below, so there should be no reason to refresh this page - or any of tonight’s posts, for that matter. On this page, you’ll see results for House seats held by Democrats, followed by results for House seats held by Republicans, then Senate seats by party.

One quick programming note, LaSalle County is reporting some website issues, so results for the very important 76th House District race (Skoog vs. Long) may be delayed. Stay tuned and check tonight’s live blog for more info.

Tonight’s results are brought to you by the BEST Coalition…

Why give BILLIONS XTRA to unnecessary power plants when IL generates 41% more power than we need https://t.co/4do9VE9yzK pic.twitter.com/Im32XigbWm

— BEST Coalition (@BESTcoalition) November 9, 2016

* OK, we blew up Kennedy’s server, so we’re gonna have to do this by hand. Give us a few to regroup…

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*** LIVE *** Election Night Coverage

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ll post the live results pages in a bit, but this page will give me an opportunity for running commentary on the results as they come in, plus provide newsie tweets from others. Tonight’s programming is sponsored by the BEST Coalition…

ComEd Exelon’s $15 billion rate hike “could be a tipping point for some companies” to leave IL. More in Crain’s https://t.co/xCMNIDWEGp pic.twitter.com/CYCgQBcR4u

— BEST Coalition (@BESTcoalition) November 9, 2016

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…

2 Comments

What to expect tonight

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m partnering with Scott Kennedy at Illinois Election Data to give you live vote total updates right here on the blog. There will likely be three separate posts, one for state legislative races, one for statewides and congressionals and the other for a list of declared winners and any commentary I may throw in.

We’ll crank things up around 7:30, so I’ll see you later tonight!

24 Comments

Late afternoon precinct reports

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I just got back. What did I miss?

25 Comments

Mautino loses another round

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* He could still appeal this ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court, but that’s to be determined…

An appeals court last week rejected former state Rep. Frank Mautino’s request to delay the state elections board’s case against him until a federal investigation is completed.

Without comment, the First District Appellate Court in Chicago ruled on the matter Friday, meaning the Board of Elections can resume its inquiry into Mautino’s spending of campaign money.

A board spokesman said Monday his agency would first conduct a status hearing to determine which documents were needed to proceed. Then the board would schedule a hearing for Mautino in which both sides could present testimony and evidence. […]

Last month, Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a brief with the appeals court, saying she opposed Mautino’s request. She argued the administrative proceedings would put Mautino in a less than ideal situation, but he would not suffer irreparable harm.

“(W)hile a negative inference may be drawn in the proceedings from Mautino’s invocation of his right to remain silent, the state board must prove its case against (him),” Madigan wrote.

15 Comments

Lunchtime and early afternoon precinct reports

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* What are you seeing, hearing and feeling out there at the precinct level? What can you tell us that we don’t already know? Make sure to tell us where you are. Thanks!

* I have to vote and then run some errands to get ready for tonight, maybe have some lunch and I might even try to get a haircut (because, man, it’s outta control). I’ll take my laptop with me in case something huge happens, but in the meantime here are some handy dandy linkies just for you…

* VoteCastr turnout tracker and live blog (national)

* A new Morning Consult & POLITICO Exit Poll of early and Election Day shows that voters going to the polls are anxious, angry, and just want the 2016 election to be over. The Morning Consult/POLITICO Exit Poll was conducted October 18 - November 8, 2016 among 6,782 early/Election Day Voters. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. The results have a margin of error of +/- 1 percent.

* Find your ballot choices and your polling place

* Tribune live coverage

* Associated Press live coverage of Illinois

* Numbers from Chicago’s early voting

* Decision day for Illinois voters on president, Senate and beyond: The Center for Responsive Politics calculated Illinois donations to federal candidates and national political parties at more than $125 million during the two-year 2016 election cycle. The group ranked Illinois fourth nationally in contributions to Democrats at more than $66.8 million and seventh to Republicans, with more than $58.4 million — not including money given to super political action committees.

* After all the early voting, some actually waited for Election Day: Dowling, 43, lives in the Irving Park neighborhood and tried to vote early on Monday at the McFetridge sports complex, but the “line was insane.” Instead, he was in and out in under 10 minutes Tuesday morning at DePaul College Prep.

* McAuliffe, Marwig Face Off Over Chicago’s Only GOP-Held State House Seat: “My opponent … has spent millions of dollars of [Gov.] Bruce Rauner’s money to put out false ads against me,” Marwig said Monday night as she greeted voters outside Roden Library, 6083 N. Northwest Highway, on the last night of early voting. McAuliffe, shaking hands fewer than 10 steps away, has called Marwig’s accusations a “distraction from her ties to [Illinois Speaker of the House] Mike Madigan.”

* Analysis: Plenty at stake for Gov. Rauner on Election Night: “If they take down a number of Democratic seats and [Illinois Comptroller] Leslie Munger wins, I suppose the governor will feel emboldened,” Lang, D-Skokie, said. “But I don’t expect that’s going to happen, and therefore he’s going to be forced to deal with a very strong Democratic majority in both chambers and he’s going to have to determine whether he’s ready to govern or whether he wants to continue to play politics.”

* VIDEO: Two-time UFC champion endorses Avery Bourne

29 Comments

Your best wild guesses about tonight?

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* How about we kill a little time by sharing predictions? Make sure to explain your votes in comments. First up, who do you think will win the US Senate race?…

survey services

And, please, don’t cheat. Be sporting and vote only once on each of these and then leave it alone. Thanks.

* Comptroller…

bike tracks

* CD 10…

picture polls

* CD 12…

survey hosting

* On these next two, we’re looking for final net changes, not simply pickups.

Keeping in mind that most figure Rep. Jack Franks’ Democratic seat was a goner from the get-go (but hey, maybe they were wrong), let’s start with the Illinois House…

find bike trails

* And now let’s move to the Senate, where the Democrats didn’t even bother to find a candidate to run in retiring Democratic incumbent John Sullivan’s district…

bike trails

* Bonus Question: Biggest surprise of the night will be… ?

105 Comments

Question of the day

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

Can Illinois voters heading to the polls take photos of their ballots? Here’s what the state Board of Elections says:

“Allowing someone to see a voter’s voted ballot is, in general, technically a felony in Illinois,” Heather Kimmons, legal counsel at the Illinois State Board of Elections, said in an email to Crain’s.

She noted there are exceptions for handicapped or illiterate voters receiving assistance in voting.

Section 29-9 of state law says that “any person who knowingly marks his ballot or casts his vote on a voting machine or voting device so that it can be observed by another person, and any person who knowingly observes another person lawfully marking a ballot or lawfully casting his vote on a voting machine or voting device, shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.”

However, Kimmons said, “we have not heard of any state’s attorney prosecuting anyone who simply posts a picture to Facebook (or a similar social media site) under this statute.”

* The Question: Should Illinois law be changed to allow voters to share photos of their completed ballots? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

surveys

40 Comments

Proposal called “tipping point” for manufacturers

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Uh-oh…

The state’s large industrial and manufacturing companies would see significant increases in their electric bills to help bankroll a dramatic expansion of energy-efficiency programs run by Commonwealth Edison and downstate utility Ameren Illinois as part of a wide-ranging draft energy bill circulating in Springfield.

Over the next 13 years, the efficiency charges alone would cause electricity costs for the average Illinois industrial user (as defined by the U.S. Energy Information Administration) to rise $8,271 in 2020, scaling up dramatically to an increase of $43,871 by 2030, according to an analysis by Argonne National Laboratory.

For large manufacturers like steelmakers, the efficiency charge, which would gradually increase by more than five times in that period, would add hundreds of thousands in costs in the short term and potentially well over $1 million by 2030.

The average monthly electricity charge paid by Illinois manufacturers last year was 6.67 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the EIA (see the PDF). The efficiency charge alone for larger industrial customers would boost that by 1.7 percent in 2020 and 9 percent in 2030.

For a state whose business climate is a persistent source of concern and debate as some manufacturers consider relocating to cheaper locales, the approach raises questions.

“This could be a tipping point for some companies,” says Mark Denzler, vice president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Energy (costs) have been one of the few advantages in Illinois for the last 20 years.”

Discuss.

* Related…

* Editorial: For consumers, energy bailout doesn’t compute

16 Comments

Six losses is not “OK”

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times…

But he said picking up four to six seats in the House would be an “OK night” for Rauner and it would move the needle slightly. But more importantly, it would give him leverage and prove that he’s the change agent he said he’d be.

Just an “OK night”?

C’mon, man.

Madigan has a strong Democratic map with incumbents he mostly chose. That map is so well-drawn that Madigan did not lose a single single House seat during the huge 2014 Republican wave which gave us Gov. Rauner.

And, no matter what happens nationally, this is a Democratic year in Illinois, unlike two years ago.

Madigan has spent about as much as Rauner on his candidates and has benefited from a multi-million-dollar statewide advertising blitz trashing the governor. Money is not the issue most people think it is.

Not to mention that Madigan has a far superior organization and ground game - two of the most important aspects of any campaign at this level.

* If Madigan loses six net seats, then that means Rauner’s “Because… Madigan!” campaign worked as planned. And that means the Democrats are gonna have to totally rethink everything, including Madigan’s party leadership, ahead of 2018, which (barring a Donald Trump victory today) will not be a favorable year like this year. Because if the message works this year, it will sure as heck work again in two years.

…Adding… From comments…

6 seats is halfway to majority - they have 47, the want to get to 60, so if they got halfway there in a Presidential year, I don’t see how they don’t finish the deal in 2018, unless Madigan retires, because he will have been proven toxic.

It’ll be tougher to get those other seats because they’re stronger districts. But the commenter isn’t wrong. Six net losses would be very bad news for Madigan.

* Related…

* Your Rauner vs. Madigan proxy battle scorecard

35 Comments

Mid-morning precinct reports

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let us know what you’re seeing and experiencing. Turnout so far, line length, weather, problems and glitches (if any), visibility of precinct workers, etc. And as always, don’t forget to tell us where you voted or observed. Thanks!

* Related…

* Early morning precinct report

39 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Early morning precinct report

Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* How’s it looking out there? Describe what you’re seeing: Number of people who’ve already voted, lines (if any), precinct workers (if any), glitches (if any) weather and anything else of note.

Also, make sure to tell us where you are.

Thanks!

58 Comments

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