The previous system of voting for all Village positions at the same time resulted in fewer candidates to choose from overall, especially when candidates could run together for all open positions as a slate – a unified party with similar goals and values. Potential new candidates are more likely to run in staggered elections, when they won’t be up against established party slates. Elections every 2 years also mean twice as many opportunities for candidates to run. Skokie’s previous system discouraged candidate participation. Without choice, voters had little reason to show up on Election Day. This helps explain Skokie’s extremely low voter turnout rates.

In the past 5 elections, the Village of Skokie has had the lowest candidate turnout among our neighboring suburbs, averaging only 1.1 candidates for every elected position. Since 2001, 90% of elections for Village offices have been uncontested. In other words, most Skokie Village elected officials win without any competition. Uncompetitive races also result in elected officials being less accountable to voters.

When elections are uncontested, voter turnout is low. Why vote when the outcome is already decided? According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, over the last two decades, an average of only 9% of registered voters in Skokie actually voted. We have the second lowest voter turnout among our neighboring suburbs.

When elections are held only every 4 years, voter turnout is also decreased for the local midterm elections, when the Skokie Park District and local school districts that do stagger their elections are on the ballot. Staggered terms for the Village Board will bring more voters to those midterm elections.

A staggered system, with elections every 2 years instead of 4, creates more frequent opportunities for new candidates with fresh ideas to run for office. This creates more options for voters and more robust political debate. At the same time, by not overturning an entire Village Board at once, staggered terms ensure stability and consistency.

The previous system of non-staggered elections slowed the process for new candidates and parties running for office. Bringing in new voices became even more challenging when a one-party slate ran for all open positions in a partisan election (see Nonpartisan Elections). Staggered terms open up possibilities for candidates with different views to bring healthy competition to our democracy. Furthermore, contested elections will result in officials ultimately being more accountable to the voters they represent.

It’s worth noting that Skokie had staggered terms until 1961 when a new state law required unstaggered elections for villages with populations over 50,000. Skokie Trustees at that point fought to keep staggered terms but were unsuccessful. In 1970, the revised Illinois Constitution went back to allowing for staggered terms. But no Skokie Village Board, under one-party rule, moved to return to staggered terms before the referendums were passed.

Before the referendums passed, Skokie was the only village of its size in the entire state of Illinois that did not stagger its elections. All of the other villages that border Skokie – Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Glenview, Wilmette, and Golf – have staggered-term elections. Even in Skokie, almost all other elected boards – including the Park District, Skokie Public Library, and School Districts 68, 69, 72, 73, 73 ½, 219, 535, and 202 – have staggered terms.