Draft election code

The BSE chair praised the draft's structure but said it was written without BSE input and has serious gaps: no independent-expenditure registration, no drop box rules, wrong reporting dates, and no volunteer-work exemption.

A resident since 1957, Fisher urged the Council to obtain the city clerk's timeline for the 2027 election cycle, noting the one-year countdown begins May 1 and August hiatuses shrink the calendar.

A BSE member speaking for himself, Wiener flagged flawed definitions, an overly long violation process, duties shifted onto unpaid board members, and urged a professional document editor.

A 60-year resident, four-time candidate and former BSE member, Mulligan questioned why the BSE was bypassed, why the city keeps a separate voter registration from the state, and flagged her opposition to 16-year-old voting, ranked choice voting, and city campaign financing, and support for term limits.

The former Charter Review Commission chair urged the Council to table action and refer the draft to the BSE, noting voters rejected 16-17 voting in 2023 yet term limits — which passed 74-22% — remain unaddressed.

Russo argued ranked choice voting is a solution in search of a problem for council races, criticized the removal of election district language, and called the eight-week adoption timeline rushed without BSE review.

Becker called the process 'ramming and cramming,' said the work won't be done by June, and demanded a cost analysis and respect for the BSE.

The Lincoln Park Historical Foundation president supported 16-year-old voting, three consecutive term limits, council districts, and keeping the current voting system, and urged assessing resources for the volunteer board.