Your Vote: A Guide to the Nov. 6 Election

The presidential race has become increasingly contentious over the last few months. For most voters who will hit the polls Tuesday, choosing the next president is the most important ballot they will cast. But, locally there have also been a few races garnering strong local interest.

Constituents with an interest in the race between Peter Roskam and Leslie Coolidge have shared letter after letter on Patch. Roskam, the incumbent, was given several opportunities to debate Coolidge, including a request from Patch to participate, but he chose not to meet his challenger.

Judy Biggert, the incumbent in the new 11th district, is said to be neck-and-neck with her challenger Bill Foster. Rudy Giuliani stumped for Biggert during a trip to Chicago.  

Other local candidates, such as Sandra Pihos, are uncontested and expected to retain seats.

Everything you need to know to make a decision about how to cast your vote can be found on Patch. The links that follow will lead you to candidate profiles and positions, news coverage and candidate blogs.

• Want to talk on election night? Join our live blog at 7 p.m. Tuesday here.
• Need to find out where to vote? Search our database here.

LOCAL RACES

Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and Lisle are in DuPage County Board districts two, four and six.

:  Pete DiCianni (R), Elaine Zannis (R), Sean Noonan (R) and Liz Chaplin (D) are running for three seats.

Neither of the candidates returned a Patch questionnaire.

: Jerry "JR" McBride (incumbent) (R), Grant Eckhoff (incumbent) (R), Amy Grant (R), Charles Ditchman (D) and Dan Bailey (D) run for three seats.

The only candidate to return a Patch questionnaire was Dan Bailey.

Recent headlines:

• Endorsements in 2012 Election

: Dave Barry, Dirk Enger (incumbent) (D), Laurie Nowak, Robert Larsen (incumbent), Kevin Wiley (R) and Jim Zay (incumbent) (R) run for three seats.

Recent headlines:

• Endorsements in 2012 Election

DuPage County Forest Preserve, District 2

• Joe Cantore (Incumbent, R)
• Don Kirchenberg (D)

DuPage County Forest Preserve, District 4

• Tim Whelan (R)
•  Robert Flesvig (D)

DuPage County Forest Preserve, District 6

• Shannon Burns (D)
• Al Murphy (R)

DuPage County Clerk of the Circuit Court

• Chris Kachiroubas (Incumbent, R)
• Ralph Scalise (D)

The following DuPage County races are uncontested:

DuPage County State's Attorney

• Robert Berlin (R)

DuPage County Auditor

• Bob Grogan (R)

DuPage County Coroner

• Richard Jorgensen (R)

DuPage County Recorder

• Fred Bucholz (R)
  

DuPage Judges

Illinois State Bar Association announced in October its recommendations in the following races. Says ISBA: "Evaluation ratings, which are the result of an in-depth review of candidates, are the opinion of the Illinois State Bar Association; the Judicial Advisory Poll ratings do not reflect the opinion of ISBA, but rather the opinion of those attorneys who participated in the poll." Click here to see the State Bar opinion.

DuPage County Bar Association issued a different opinion. Click here to see the DuPage Bar evaluation.

2nd District Appellate Court

• Joe Birkett (R)

18 Judicial Circuit

• Alice Wilson (D)
• Patrick O'Shea (R)

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Republicans are pushing hard to make House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Democratic majorities in the General Assembly an issue. In the Chicago Southland, the GOP challengers are a mix of first-time office seekers and candidates who've battled the Democratic Machine in the past.

21st Senate: Michael Connelly

Connelly, former respresentative in the 42nd Represtentative District, is running uncontested for the seat in the 21st Senate District. Connelly did not return a Patch questionnaire.

24th Senate: Kirk Dillard (R) vs. A. Ghani (D) 

A. Ghani did not return a Patch questionnaire.

41st Senate: Christine Radogno vs. Duane Bradley

Neither candidate returned a Patch questionnaire.

42nd House: William Adams (D) vs. Jeanne Ives (R)

Adams runs against Ives for the empty seat formerly held by Michael Connelly, who is now unopposed in the 21st Senate District race. Ives, a Wheaton City Councilwoman, said in an October candidate forum she promises to protect taxpayers from corruption that runs "rampant" in Springfield. Adams, a tax accountant in Wheaton said a priority of his is to have a strong middle class.

Recent headlines:

• Letter: Vote for Jeanne Ives

48th House: Sandra Pihos (R)

Pihos is running uncontested for the seat in the 48th Representative District. Patch sent Pihos a candidate questionnaire but did not receive a response.

81st House: Debbie Boyle (D) vs. Ron Sandack (R)

Sandack is the incumbent and former mayor of Downers Grove. He said he has led on fiscally conservative and government reform issues both in Downers Grove, where I served as Mayor, and in Springfield. He also declined to accept the legislative pension and health care benefits and been active, "in attempting to reasonably reform public pensions at the State level—so that they are financially sustainable."

Boyle, currently vice president of the CSD99 Board of Education, said she has "extensive managerial experience" due to her position as a Clinical Manager/Coordinator. She said she will fight for the working class families and small businesses in the 81st district.

REFERENDA

Village of Glen Ellyn: Shall the Village of Glen Ellyn have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?

DuPage County: Should Illinois law permit an individual to hold two or more public elected offices simultaneously?

State Constitutional Amendment: Also on the ballot is an amendment to the state constitution that would require a three-fifths majority for any government body to change its pension system. Both conservative and liberal lobbying groups have lined up against this amendment, saying it's bad policy and doesn't address the problems with the state's pension burdens.

Related:

• Letter: League of Women Voters to Vote 'No' on Amendment Question Nov. 6

CONGRESS

Two congressional races in northern Illinois are must-watch contests. Democrat Tammy Duckworth's bid to unseat Rep. Joe Walsh, a Tea Party favorite, in the north suburbs has drawn a lot national attention and out-of-district financial support. And in the west suburbs, Rep. Judy Biggert is trying to stay in the House and fend off Bill Foster, a former one-term congressman trying to return to Congress, but the latest polling shows them in a dead heat.

Closer to home... 

6th District: Peter Roskam (R) vs. Leslie Coolidge (D)

Peter Roskam has been in Congress since 2007 and serves on the House Committee of Ways and Means and is Chief Deputy Whip. Roskam said if elected, his top priority will continue to be getting the economy "back on track and getting people back to work." Coolidge, a CPA and former partner at a major accounting firm, said she believes more people could go to work through investments in infrastructure upgrades to crumbling roads, bridges and schools.

Recent headlines:

• Planned Parenthood endorses Leslie Coolidge for Congress
• The Urgent Need for Tax Reform
• Views on Women: Representative Peter Roskam’s and Mine Differ Profoundly
• Go to Patch's Letters to the Editor page to read letters to the editor supporting Coolidge and Roskam.

11th District: Judy Biggert (R) vs. Bill Foster (D) 

Judy Biggert, the incumbent in the new 11th district, is said to be neck-and-neck with her challenger Bill Foster. Rudy Giuliani stumped for Biggert during a trip to Chicago. Biggert said her top priorities if elected would be job creation, economic recovery and getting debt and spending under control. Foster said his top priorities would be getting the economy moving and creating jobs.

Live Blog: Patch will be holding a live blog tonight as the results beging to roll in. Sign in and share your thoughts. 

Find election results after the polls close at 7 p.m. 

For a good chat, follow Patch on Facebook on Election Night and the days that come after, too. Wheaton Patch, Glen Ellyn Patch and Lisle Patch.