Park Ridge and Niles voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for a Cook County Board of Commissioners race that was decided by just 680 votes four years ago.

Democratic incumbent Maggie Trevor, a former pollster and data scientist, faces Republican Jon Luers, a retired software engineer, in the District 9 contest. The district stretches from Rolling Meadows through Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines and Rosemont, then turns south through parts of Niles and Chicago's Northwest Side, according to the Journal & Topics.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

How the race shaped up

Trevor won her seat in 2022 with 50.3% of the vote over Republican Matt Podgorski, the Chicago Tribune reported. Luers entered the race in June after the Republican Party appointed him to fill the ballot spot. The party's original nominee, Chicago police Sgt. Ammie Kessem, withdrew in May to accept a position in the Trump administration's U.S. Department of Labor, according to the Tribune.

The Cook County Democratic Party has invested heavily in the contest. The party spent about $390,000 combined on the 9th and 15th district races in the closing weeks of the campaign, the Tribune reported.

Where they stand

Property taxes are the top concern among constituents, according to most candidates in suburban Cook County board races, the Tribune reported. The County Board has not raised its levy except to capture new properties since the 1990s, but local school districts have increased theirs.

Luers said in a Tribune questionnaire that he would oppose any sales or property tax increases. Asked what programs he would cut, he suggested "there must be plenty of extra cash wastefully sloshing around" at the county's health system.

Trevor, who previously worked for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals in Oakland, California, and with Blue Shield of California, defended the health system's growth. She pointed to improved insurance coverage statewide and higher reimbursements to the county health system. She also cited environmental accomplishments during her time on the board, including a ban on carcinogenic coal tar sealant and changes to county landmark incentives that helped save the Pickwick Theatre.

Early voting surging

Early turnout in suburban Cook County is running well ahead of 2022 levels. More than 250,000 suburban residents had cast early ballots as of midday Nov. 2, a 31% increase over the same point in the 2022 gubernatorial election, according to the Cook County Clerk's office. Nearly 107,000 mail ballots had already been returned, and the Clerk's office said it expects mail participation to surpass the 2022 total of 122,600 ballots.

Under Illinois law, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day may be received and counted for up to 14 days after the election.

How to follow results

Voters can find their polling place through the Cook County Clerk's elections page, which also posts official results and election data for suburban Cook County races after polls close.