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YOUR VOTE: City, township races on the line in today’s voting

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois – A confusing array of races, and race outcomes, face Rock Island County voters Tuesday, February 28. In East Moline, voters will select a...

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois – A confusing array of races, and race outcomes, face Rock Island County voters Tuesday, February 28.

  • In East Moline, voters will select a mayoral candidate who faces no opposition in the April 4 election
  • In Moline, the incumbent mayor is the only name on the ballot, but there are five other write-in candidates running
  • In South Moline Township, nine Republicans are running for office in a county dominated by Democrats

"It will be an interesting race", says Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney who plans to visit each of the county's voting districts during the Tuesday election.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 7 p.m.

So far, 892 Rock Island County early voters have already cast their ballot either in person or by absentee ballot.  Kinney says she was surprised more people didn't take advantage of early voting at the Courthouse for this primary.

East Moline

Mayor John Thodos faces opposition from two well known fellow Democrats.

Alderman Gary Westbrook and former Police Chief Reggie Freeman are challenging Thodos who is seeking a fourth term as East Moline Mayor.

East Moline also has two contested aldermanic races with Democrats Nancy Mulcahey and Belinda Rusch in the 3rd Ward and Jose Roberto Rico and Dedrick Westbrook in the 7th Ward.

Moline

Moline Mayor Scott Raes is the only name on the ballot but isn't the only candidate running.

Raes challenged the nomination petitions of two candidates: Alderman-at-Large Stephanie Acri and Bob Vogelbaugh, known as "Mr. Thanksgiving" for hosting an annual holiday dinner.

Vogelbaugh dropped out of the race but Acri still filed as a write-in candidate.

So did four other candidates: Kirk Witherspoon, Frederick Carman, Jody Fear, and Deborah Ryckeghem.

The ballot will have a blank space on it with people required to write in one of those names if they don't chose Mayor Raes.

The only people who will be eligible on the April ballot for mayor will be the top vote getter and any of the other candidates who receive at least 10% of the total the top vote getter receives.

Moline also has an at-Large race where only four candidates will move on to April's election.

Four candidates are listed on the ballot: Carol Triebel, Angie Nomoyle, Gregory Alan Swanson, and Edward Johnson.

But a fifth person, Sonia Berg, qualifies as a write-in candidate who could also attract votes.

Kinney says she doesn't expect problems with the added write-in options on the ballot.

Voters will not use paper ballots, but will use touch screens instead.

"It's not complicated," says Kinney.  "It's simple."

She says poll workers will be available to help voters throughout the day.

Silvis

Silvis also has two Democrats running for mayor after Tom Conrad decided not to run for re-election.  Council members Matthew Carter and Robert Cervantes are on the Democratic ballot.

Silvis voters must also narrow the field in the race for City Clerk, where Jim Nelson and Shannon Pirmann are on the ballot, and the 2nd Ward, where William M. Fox and Ian Kyle Pavelonis face off against each other.

Township Races

Rock Island Township voters need to narrow the field for its supervisor race with Alan Carmen, Lauren Boswell-Loftin, and Ruben Aguilar on the ballot.

In South Moline Township, it's the Republicans who dominate the ballot.

There are two races on the ballot: the four year supervisor position and the four year trustee race.

Kim Lazenby and Tracy Best are both running for the Township position.

Seven candidates are running for  trustee: Republicans Sharon Diekman, Vance DeBruine, Andrea Anderson, Wayne Hill Sr., Brian Forsberg, Lisa Griffin, and Mark Lundahl.

 

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