Buffalo Grove Voters To Decide On Village, School Board

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Election Day is upon us. The polls in Lake County and Suburban Cook County open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain so until 7 p.m. Election officials say that if you're in line by 7, you will be able to vote no matter how long the line is.

Buffalo Grove voters will weigh in on two contested races with Village Board and a Board of Education race.

BUFFALO VILLAGE BOARD (OPPOSED)

Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Buffalo Grove Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot. See links below for our candidate questionnaires.

Five candidates are vying for three four-year trustee seats on the Buffalo Grove Village Board on Election Day.

INCUMBENTS

Joanne Johnson, 60, has been a trustee for the past six years and has worked in non-profit public relations and marketing communications for 20.

"The greatest long-term issue facing Buffalo Grove is our need to maximize services while minimizing the tax impact on our residents. This is made more difficult by uncertain state funding, including failed pension reforms," Johnson said. "The State continues to pile on unfunded mandates, while reducing the revenue that is constitutionally due to the village. We are being fiscally squeezed by the State of Illinois."

Lester A. Ottenheiimer, III, 66, has been an attorney for 40 years.

"During my tenure as trustee, the Village has maintained a balanced budget and has consistently maintained adequate reserves, which has allowed the Village to continue to operate as normal as possible — even during the pandemic It has also maintained an AAA Bond rating," Ottenheiimer said. "As a result, there will be not be any reduction in core services such as fire, police, garbage, snow removal and the like."

Andrew Stein, 61, was first elected as a trustee in 2011.

"As Trustees, we are presented with a lot of information. The critical difference between me and the others is how I process that information. As a Compliance Principal, I do most of my investigation before visiting with a representative," Stein said. "As a Trustee, I read and ask questions in advance of meetings. I may ask a lot of questions leading up to the discussion. This helps me to better understand why we may be doing what we are doing."

CHALLENGERS

Gowri Magati (did not return a candidate questionnaire)

Mike Terson, 50, is the superintendent of communications and marketing at the Buffalo Grove Park District.

"I don't think anyone running for reelection has failed the community. I think I bring the most logical and progressive mind set to the table; however, these are all good people who are very well intended," Terson said. "I think Buffalo Grove's biggest issues are long term issues that are the result of policymakers that were in these roles decades ago."

BUFFALO PARK DISTRICT BOARD (UNOPPOSED)

Incumbents Scott Jacobson (vice president) and Tracy H. Bragg (treasurer) are running unopposed for full four-year terms. Incumbent Stephen Cummins is running unopposed for an unexpired two-year term.

TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 214 (OPPOSED)

Eight candidates are competing for four seats on the Township High School District 214 Board of Education on Election Day. Incumbents Mark Hineman, Mildred Palmer and Leonard Walker are being challenged by Elizabeth Bauer, Richard Menninga, Andrea Rauch, Tony Rosselli and Jackie Ryan.

Township High School District 214, headquartered in Arlington Heights, includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School, Prospect High School, Rolling Meadows High School and Wheeling High School.

EARLY VOTING CONCLUDES

Through April 3, residents were able to early vote at 16 sites in Lake County. In Buffalo Grove, early voting took place at William E. Peterson Park, 16652 N Buffalo Grove Road, Prairie View.

Ballot drop boxes are also back for Lake County voters at each of the early voting sites. The Lake County Clerk's Office announced in March that it will be following the protocol that was introduced in the 2020 General Election. Voters may walk into the election site with a mask and place their vote by mail ballot at any of the 16 drop boxes. Postage is free.

External drop boxes are currently not being offered for this election until new state legislation provides this option, according to Lake County Clerk Robin M. O'Connor.

State laws require early voters to provide a valid photo ID to an election official before receiving a ballot to vote early. Valid forms of ID include a current driver's license, a driver's license of state ID, university/college ID or another government-issued ID with a photo, such as a passport.

COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS

Through Monday, Buffalo Grove residents living in Cook County can still early vote at 51 sites. Hours for early voting are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 5. Find a complete list of locations on the Cook County Clerk's website.

Click here to view the wait times for each Early Voting location

As with the November 2020 elections, drop boxes are back. Through April 5, four locations will have ballot drop boxes. Cook County staff will monitor the drop boxes daily during hours of service between 9 a.m.-4 p.m., including weekends. Mail ballots will be collected from the drop boxes a minimum of one time daily or as warranted and delivered to Cook County Elections for processing.

People dropping off mail ballots will be required to adhere to COVID-19 and other safety and security related protocols established for the Cook County courthouses. Drop box locations are:

• Skokie: Skokie Courthouse, 5600 W. Old Orchard Road, Skokie
• Markham: Markham Courthouse, 16501 S. Kedzie Avenue, Markham
• Maywood: Cook County Clerk's Office, Whitcomb Building, 1311 Maybrook Square, Room 104, Maywood
• Downtown Chicago: Cook County Clerk's Office, 69 W. Washington, Suite 500, Chicago

State laws require early voters to provide a valid photo ID to an election official before receiving a ballot to vote early. Valid forms of ID include a current driver's license, a driver's license of state ID, university/college ID or another government-issued ID with a photo, such as a passport.

During the early voting period for the April 6 consolidated election (March 22 to April 5), voters can register and vote in person at one of the Cook County Clerk's designated Early Voting locations.

Voters wishing to vote during early voting must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address. Registrants must immediately cast their ballot after registering to vote. On the April 6 Election Day, voters who are not registered to vote can register and vote at their home precinct only. Find your home precinct using the voter information tool. Voters planning on registering to vote or updating their address on Election Day must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address.

If you are a candidate running for office, a resident looking to endorse a candidate or just want to weigh in on the election, please do so here.