Voters in Chicago’s suburbs took to the polls Tuesday — casting their ballots for candidates as well as issues like ranked-choice voting and raising the local sales tax on groceries.

Voter turnout was just under 17%. There are more than 1.6 million registered voters in suburban Cook County, but fewer than 300,000 ballots were cast. While suburban Cook County sees an average 70% turnout in presidential elections, local election turnout continues to struggle.

“This is the election that really impacts you,” Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Wednesday. “It impacts the everyday voter. We did have a ‘vote local’ campaign, and what this tells us is we’ve got to continue to do these types of campaigns, and also we must conduct other voter engagement strategies to make sure we continue to increase that vote.”

Gordon oversees suburban Cook County elections. A number of referendums were included on the ballot this year, including questions related to property taxes, term limits and ranked-choice voting. Skokie voted in favor of ranked-choice voting, which would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference — with 58.29% in favor and 41.71% opposed.

New data from the Cook County Treasurer’s Office shows predominantly White taxing districts show greater participation, with an average turnout rate in 2024 of 55.2% compared to 33.3% in Black majority districts and 29.2% in districts with Latino majorities.

“It’s not just about voting for your president, it’s not just about voting for your governor, but you need to vote for your local mayor in these small suburban areas, these villages and small cities,” Gordon said.

Last month, she marked 100 days in office, and in that time she said she’s seen an increase in requests for records like birth certificates and marriage licenses. Gordon said there has been a 22% increase in requests for birth certificates and a 37% increase in requests for marriage and civil union licenses within the first two months of 2025.

“People are worried about what’s happening with the federal administration, and we’re hearing those concerns,” Gordon said. “There are a lot of people who are worried about deportation, so they want to provide proof of citizenship for their children.”

In addition to cracking down on immigration restrictions, President Donald Trump’s administration is continuing to target DEI measures. A number of public and private companies — including Walmart, Target, McDonald’s and Amazon — have abandoned their DEI initiatives in response to the president’s executive order.

However, Gordon is taking a different approach. Last month she announced her office will appoint the first diversity, equity and inclusion deputy clerk. The clerk’s office also has plans to integrate more DEI measures once her transition team completes its report this month.

“When I took on this job, when I got into public service, I knew that it was my duty to do what’s best for the constituents, and I think this is best for the constituents,” Gordon said. “We have a very diverse constituency in Cook County, and we need to reflect that, and we need to make sure that everybody feels a part of the clerk’s office.”

Gordon was elected in November and will complete the two years left of the late Karen Yarbrough’s term. Yarbrough was the first Black person and first woman to serve as Cook County clerk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

---