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Naperville
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Vote – Positively Naperville January Straw Poll Results

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vote_straw

Noting the long list of “meet and greet” candidate events that began in recent months to create awareness about all the hopefuls running in the Consolidated Election on April 7, 2015, PN’s web editor created two 10-day straw polls to see which way the wind had begun to blow. Going forward, candidates will have opportunities to rally their supporters to check how things are trending with PN readers in February, March and April.

What’s a straw poll or straw vote?

According to Dictionary of American Politics first published in 1944, edited by Edward Conrad Smith and Arnold John Zurcher, a straw vote is “an unofficial poll taken by a newspaper or private organization to forecast the result of an election.”

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In the case of Positively Naperville, the aim of the online straw polls was to engage Naperville residents of voting age in the upcoming 2015 Consolidated Election. Voters officially will go to the polls during Early Voting, March 24-April 4, and on Election Day, April 7, 2015.

The first two straw polls released in late January 2015 featured interest relating to 24 candidates running to serve on the 9-member City Council, including Mayor.

What sets the City Council and Mayoral Elections apart in 2015 is that this year is the first time all seats are up for election since the establishment of the Council/Manager form of government in Naperville back in 1969.

Readers likely know that after a referendum a few years ago, terms were limited to three, four-year terms for the Mayor and City Council members. Term limits begin for all newly elected city council members when they are sworn in officially on the first Sunday in May 2015.

Over the course of the coming months, several straw polls will be conducted with each one starting over, seeking a new sample of voters, always hoping to limit the margin of error of what’s trending in the local voting population.

Still, let us shout it out from the highest hill, nothing, nothing, nothing is official or scientific about PN’s straw polls. Our guidelines have come from statisticians who use statistical methods to collect and analyze data— and we’ve welcomed their suggestions to acquire the best random sample possible.

One vote per IP address

PN’s poll-meister has set the interactive straw polls each to accept only one vote per voter per IP address. And they will be sorted by Naperville origin.

What’s interesting in the analytics at this stage in the game is the high number of bullet voters ranging from one vote to six votes as well as voters who have selected all eight of their choices.

Complimentary promotion and paid advertising

We have received enthusiastic feedback about the City Council/Mayoral Q&A that features all 24 candidates on line with a photo. This service to provide space for all candidates to answer 20 questions was offered free of charge to help enlighten the community about many qualified citizens who want to serve.

All candidates are welcome to advertise in print and online upon request. Rates for paid advertising are featured online at https://www.positivelynaperville.com/election-voters-guide.

Advertising is what supports ink by the bucket, paper by the roll and distribution of the printed publication to 25,000 families and potential voters; as well as managing, designing and creating our open-source website.

Thanks for reading. Yes. This election is kind of a big deal.

School Boards / Park District, Too!

Naperville also is served by the Naperville Park District as well as two public school districts, Naperville Unit School District 203 and Indian Prairie Unit School District 204. All three governing and taxing bodies operate with boards and budgets mostly independent of the City.

Also, Naperville is served by six townships – Naperville, Lisle, DuPage, Wheaton, Milton and Winfield.

Get behind your candidates and vote!

For Naperville Mayor (One 4-year seat on 9-member City Council): Doug Krause, Marty Walker, James Haselhorst and Steve Chirico.

For Naperville City Council (Top four vote getters, 4-year seats / Other four, 2-year seats on 9-member City Council, including the Mayor): Kevin Coyne, Joe McElroy, Richard “Dick” Fursteneau, Bill Eagan, Wayne Floegel, (James “Jimmy” Bergeron**), Robert Hajek, John Krummen, Paul Hinterlong, David G. Wentz, Nancy J. Marinello, Patricia “Patty” Gustin, Judith Brodhead, Thomas O’Hale, John Colletti, Stephen Purduski, Rebecca Boyd-Obarski, Steve Peterson, Becky Anderson and Kevin Gallaher. **Suspended Candidacy.

For Naperville Park District (3, 4-year seats on 7-member board): Rich Janor, Marie Todd, Jim Ensign and Melvin Kim.

For School District 203 (3, 4-year seats on 7-member board, uncontested): Suzyn Price, Terry Fielden and Mike Jaensch.

For School District 204 (3, 4-year seats on 7-member board): Justin Karubas, Lori Price, Mark Rising and Renata Sliva.

In March, PN will feature the candidates running to serve on the College of DuPage Board of Trustees, another important race to follow.

Thanks for being in the know

Again, thanks for your interest in local government where votes matter most. Stay tuned to see how the wind blows.

Let us remind readers again PN’s straw polls are absolutely unofficial and unscientific; yet, we do absolutely think every educated vote in this election is kind of a big deal.

“Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive.”

—Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

 


Straw-Poll-Results-Jan-2015


Public Candidate Forums

The Rotary Club of Naperville will host a series of City Council Candidate Forums at the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873

Feb. 15 / City Council forum will feature 6-7 candidates to be determined / 7PM-8:30PM Sun., Feb. 15, at the Judd Kendall VFW, 908 W. Jackson Ave. The public is invited to each forum or may watch a live broadcast streaming on the Internet (Link will follow). Arrive at 6:30PM.

Feb. 16 / City Council forum will feature 6-7 candidates to be determined / 7PM-8:30PM Mon., Feb. 16, at the Judd Kendall VFW, 908 W. Jackson Ave. The public is invited to each forum or may watch a live broadcast streaming on the Internet (Link will follow). Arrive at 6:30PM.

Feb. 17 / City Council forum will feature 6-7 candidates to be determined / 7PM-8:30PM Tues., Feb. 17, at the Judd Kendall VFW, 908 W. Jackson Ave. The public is invited to each forum or may watch a live broadcast streaming on the Internet (Link will follow). Arrive at 6:30PM.

Feb. 26 / The Rotary Club of Naperville Public Forum for Mayor / 12:15PM Thurs., Feb. 26, at Meson Sabika, 1025 Aurora Ave., during the Rotary Club of Naperville weekly meeting. Public welcome. Lunch is $20. The public may watch a live broadcast streaming on the Internet (Link will follow).

Editor’s Note: Naperville is home to three Rotary Clubs. For clarity, the Public Candidate Forums are being presented exclusively by the Rotary Club of Naperville. According to the news release the forums will provide “communication and understanding of our city council and mayoral candidates in this very unique upcoming election. We (Rotary) will not be endorsing anyone but the electoral process of our city.”

The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation will host five candidate forums at the Naperville Municipal Center, located at 400 S. Eagle Street.

Feb. 11 / Canceled / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents three Candidates for Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education, 7-9PM Wed., Feb. 11, in City Council Chambers. (The District 203 forum was canceled since the races are not contested. —Bob Fischer, President, NAHC)

March 9 / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents four Candidates for Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners, 7-9PM Mon., March 9, in City Council Chambers. (Alert! Bob Fischer, President of the NAHC noted the date change from the original post due to double booking.)

March 10 / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents four Candidates for Indian Prairie Unit School District 204 Board of Education, 7-9PM Tues., March 10, in City Council Chambers.

March 16 / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents four Candidates for Naperville Mayoral Candidates, 7-9PM Mon., March 16, in City Council Chambers.

March 24 / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents 10 Candidates of 20 for City Council,7-9PM Tues., March 24, in City Council Chambers. (10 names remained after drawing during the December NAHC meeting: Bill Eagan, Becky Anderson, Patty Gustin, Wayne Floegel, Dick Furstenau, Dave Wentz, Tom O’Hale, Steve Peterson, Stephen Purduski and Kevin Gallaher.)

March 26 / The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation presents 10 Candidates of 20 for City Council,7-9PM Thurs., March 26, in City Council Chambers. (10 names were drawn during the December NAHC meeting: Joe McElroy, Kevin Coyne, (Jimmy Bergeron), Rebecca Boyd-Obarski, Judith Brodhead, John Krummen, Bob Hajek, Paul Hinterlong, John Colletti and Nancy Mariello.)

West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Parade is slated to begin at 10AM Sat., March 14. Put on the green!

Candidates running in the Consolidated Election and other elected officials are welcome to show their community spirit at this popular event. Registration ($125 per entry that can include marching supporters) is now in progress. (Note: The

Rotary Sunrise St. Paddy’s Day 5K runs right before the parade in downtown Naperville.)

Individual Candidate Meet & Greet events are posted online as received at no charge to the candidates for Mayor, City Council, Naperville Park District Commissioner, School Board Members or COD Board of Trustees. All events posted since January 1, 2015, remain posted on PN’s Election & Voter’s Guide.

To list a public candidate event for Naperville City Council, park or school boards, send info to Stephanie@positivelynaperville.com with “Naperville Candidate Meet & Greet” in the subject line. Thanks.

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PN Ombudsman
PN Ombudsman
An ombudsman is Scandinavian in origin dating back to Viking times; and refers to a community representative; usually acting independently on behalf of an organization, body of elected officials, or civic group. Thanks Scandinavia for inventing ombudsman.

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