Shoplifting, Mass Transit, Flag Design, a Dying Mall: What Else We’re Voting On Today

In case voting for president, senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives weren’t enough for you, there are also hundreds of local races to keep track of. In the nation’s biggest cities, meanwhile, voters will determine the fate of mayors, sheriffs, criminal justice reform, regional mass-transit projects, school governance, and real-estate development—contests that don’t always break down neatly along party lines. Here’s what to look out for: School Policy Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson squeaked into power in a runoff election last spring, when voters chose the former teacher and union organizer by 15,000 votes. The city’s voters, the Chronicle says, have grown “​​dissatisfied amid intertwined crises of drug addiction, property crime, homelessness and an economic decline downtown.” Tough job, digging a city out of COVID. In Los Angeles County, polls suggest that progressive District Attorney George Gascón is trailing in his reelection campaign to a former Republican who says the incumbent is “soft on crime.” California will also be voting on a state referendum for harsher sentencing in shoplifting and drug cases; major backers include Walmart, Home Depot, and Target.