Illinois voters have until seven tonight to help decide the state's future with two proposed constitutional amendments. One would create protections for voters against discrimination; the other would give crime victims more rights.
There are also three advisory referenda--voters can weigh in on raising the state minimum wage, ensuring employee benefits cover birth control, and adding a tax on millionaires.
Polls say incumbent Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is neck-and-neck with Republican challenger Bruce Rauner, a private equity investor. There's also a third candidate, Libertarian Chad Grimm.
This election, for the first time, candidates for governor got to pick their running mates fo0r lieutenant governor. In previous elections, the race for the state's second-highest office was completely separate.
The other statewide constitutional offices --- Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller and Treasurer, also are on the ballot.
There are some projected tight races for this cycle. Democrats currently hold the majority in the General Assembly, but Illinois House Republicans are trying to lessen that grip on power. Only 10 races for legislative seats from northern Illinois -- nine in the state House and one in the state Senate -- are contested.
Illinois also is home to a handful of Congressional contests that could be close. Three northern Illinois incumbents -- Republicans Adam Kinzinger in the 16th District and Randy Hultgren in the 14th District and Democrat Cheri Bustos in the 17th District -- are expected to win fairly handily, but Republican State Rep. Darlene Senger may give Democratic incumbent Bill Foster a close race in the 11th District.
Longtime U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Democrats' Majority Whip, is facing off against GOP State Sen. Jim Oberweis, the dairy magnate.
Live election coverage will begin at 7 p.m. this evening on 89.5 WNIJ, with national coverage by NPR, statewide information from Illinois Public Radio, and field reports from WNIJ News. Morning Edition host Dan Klefstad and Northern Illinois University political scientist Matt Streb will anchor the coverage.
Illinois Public Radio Bureau Chief Amanda Vinicky contributed to this report.