Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle addresses supporters from her campaign headquarters on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019.

Just how did the vote break down Tuesday, and why was turnout so much lower than expected? Our politics team digs into the numbers in this week's political roundtable. 

Mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot, left, and Toni Preckwinkle give speeches Tuesday, Feb. 26 at their respective election night parties. (Photos by Tyler LaRiviere and Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Political outsider Lori Lightfoot, who was a federal prosecutor in northern Illinois, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle were the top two vote-getters among 14 candidates in the race for mayor.

Mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot, left, and Toni Preckwinkle appear on “Chicago Tonight” on May 14, 2018 and Oct. 16, 2017, respectively.

Calling Tuesday’s election a referendum on the “crumbling political machine of the past,” former Chicago Police Board chair Lori Lightfoot claimed a spot in the historic mayoral runoff set for April 2.

(Chicago Tonight)

More than half the ballots cast as of 6 p.m. Tuesday came from voters who were 55 or older, according to unofficial totals from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

Those looking to succeed retiring Mayor Rahm Emanuel include veteran politicians — a couple whose fathers also held elective office — businessmen, former prosecutors and community activists.

Chicago voters may want change, but with so many mayoral candidates to choose from, what are they to think? We get election analysis from political reporters Craig Dellimoreo, A.D. Quig and Greg Hinz.

Election day is almost upon us as the 14 mayoral candidates make their final pitches to voters.

Charges for “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. Accusations, missteps and big money in the run-up to election day. A disturbing revelation about the Aurora mass shooter. And Manny Machado disses Chicago.

Six days to go until Chicago’s mayoral and aldermanic elections, and in many races, it’s anybody's guess who will win. Paris Schutz and Carol Marin take us behind the scenes in this week's political roundtable. 

Paul Vallas, Willie Wilson, Toni Preckwinkle, Bill Daley and Susana Mendoza appear on “Chicago Tonight” on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.

Northwestern University communications professor Jason DeSanto breaks down the performance of Chicago mayoral candidates during a series of televised forums. 

Chicago mayoral candidates Garry McCarthy, Gery Chico, Amara Enyia, La Shawn Ford and Lori Lightfoot appear on “Chicago Tonight” Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019.

If the mayoral candidate forum Monday was punctuated by testy exchanges between Susana Mendoza and Bill Daley, Tuesday’s crew of five candidates – moderated by Carol Marin – kept it mostly civil.

Join us Tuesday at 7 p.m. for our third and final mayoral candidate forum, moderated by Carol Marin. Watch on WTTW11 or live on Facebook and YouTube.

Paul Vallas, Willie Wilson, Toni Preckwinkle, Bill Daley and Susana Mendoza appear on “Chicago Tonight” on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.

With a little more than one week left until the election for Chicago mayor, five of the perceived front-runners amped up their rhetoric in WTTW’s second of three candidate forums.

Join us Monday at 7 p.m. for the second of three mayoral candidate forums, moderated by Phil Ponce. Watch on WTTW11 or live on our website, Facebook and YouTube.

Mayoral candidates square off on “Chicago Tonight.” Jason Van Dyke is attacked in prison. Is R. Kelly about to be indicted? And the controversial alliance between the Cubs and a conservative media outlet.

Paris Schutz moderates a forum with, from left, mayoral candidates Jerry Joyce, Neal Sales-Griffin, Bob Fioretti and John Kozlar on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019.

Chicago Tonight kicked off its series of forums Thursday with four of the 14 candidates vying to be Chicago’s next mayor: Jerry Joyce, Neal Sales-Griffin, Bob Fioretti and John Kozlar.