A collaboration between Chicago Documenters and Civic Reporting Fellows dug into questions surrounding the electoral process. Here’s what they found.
by Jerrel Floyd
Chicago Documenters, Civic Reporting fellows and other community members gathered in the City Bureau office Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in a Community of Practice session to discuss results of the Documenters election survey. (Photo: Grace Del Vecchio/City Bureau)
Chicago Documenters teamed up with City Bureau’s Civic Reporting Fellows to get to the heart of the question: What do Chicagoans care about this election season?
In a survey conducted in August and September, Chicago Documenters posed the question to 44 members of their own communities. They asked about national issues, times when they felt personally affected by a president’s decision, and what information they still needed to know before voting Nov. 5.
Those surveyed highlighted economic issues, foreign policy and civil rights as key issues in their decision-making process, and 80% said they wanted to know more about candidates’ policy and legislation plans.
The majority said they planned to vote Nov. 5, citing their civic duty and the responsibility to honor past generations who fought for the right to vote. Most also thought the presidential election would have an impact on their lives, with reproductive rights, social security, visa access and taxes among the top ways the results would affect them.
City Bureau invited community members, Documenters and our current cohort of Civic Reporting Fellows to our Bronzeville office Sept. 18, to engage in a group conversation around the upcoming election and the survey responses.
During the Community of Practice discussion, attendees noted the above-average number of college graduates represented in the survey — nearly 60%. They were also surprised more people didn't say they had issues with voting, citing some of their own experiences. The majority of the people in the survey said they haven't had issues.
One theory was that people were either used to or simply prepared for issues at the polls.
Many weren't surprised to see more than 80% of responders say they engage with their community and civic matters. Discussion participants pointed out that Chicago has historically been a city with high levels of community engagement.
Some of the general takeaways from the conversation included pushing reporters to engage more with people who don't have housing. Attendees suggested making information about elections more accessible and simplified.
One person suggested listing out what a candidate says they will do on an issue, paired with their past actions to that end. In the survey, most responders said they needed more information about candidates' policy and legislation plans and local issues like housing and policing.
Participants said they want to see more conversation around environmental issues and Black voters who support former President Donald Trump. They also said local politicians should be thinking more about how to handle recent migrant arrivals, instead of pointing the finger at people like Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott without proposing solutions.
Our Civic Reporting fellows took in both the survey results and the Community of Practice discussion while considering their upcoming reporting on the 2024 election. Be on the lookout for those stories later this year.
Read the results of our Chicago Documenters elections survey below.
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