JEFFERSON PARK — It is all over but the voting.
Voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide four hotly-contested aldermanic races on the Far Northwest Side.
Polls are open until 7 p.m.
Problems with voting can be reported to the Chicago Board of Elections online at chicagoelections.com or by calling 312-269-7870.
If no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote on Feb. 24, the top two vote-getters will square off in a runoff on April 7.
38th Ward
Seven candidates are running to replace retiring 38th Ward Ald. Tim Cullerton, whose family has represented Portage Park and Dunning on the City Council since 1973.
This election will be the the first under a new City Council map that moved most of Dunning from the 36th Ward into the 38th Ward along with Portage Park.
The candidates in the race are Chicago City Council legislative aide Belinda Cadiz; Realtor Tom Caravette; retired city employee Michael Duda; Carmen Hernandez, a city water department investigator; Cook County Forest Preserve Sgt. Jerry Paszek, nonprofit executive Heather Sattler; and Ald. Nicholas Sposato (36th), a firefighter.
39th Ward
Three candidates are running to represent the 39th Ward on the Chicago City Council, which includes all or portions of Albany Park, North Park, Hollywood Park, Mayfair, Sauganash, Edgebrook, Old Edgebrook, Gladstone Park, Indian Woods and Forest Glen.
Ald. Margaret Laurino's bid for re-election is being challenged by retired college professor Joe Laiacona and architect Robert Murphy.
41st Ward
Three candidates are running to represent the 41st Ward, which includes which includes Edison Park, Norwood Park, O'Hare and parts of Edgebrook.
Ald. Mary O'Connor's bid for re-election is being challenged by firefighter Anthony Napolitano and business owner Joe Lomanto.
The polling place at Olympia Park, 6566 N. Avondale Ave., opened late Tuesday morning because election judges failed to appear on time, said Langdon Neal, chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
The polling place will remain open an hour later than other polls — until 8 p.m. — because of the late start, said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the election board.
Two polling places were affected, in the 15th and 37th precincts, officials said.
Under state law, all ballots cast between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. must be verified by officials and won't be counted immediately, Allen said.
In a Facebook post, Napolitano said "over three dozen" firefighters had been turned away after trying to vote at 7 a.m.
45th Ward
In 2011, the 45th Ward aldermanic race was decided by only 30 votes, and many election observers expect this year's race to be just as close.
The ward includes Jefferson Park and parts of Portage Park, Gladstone Park, Old Irving Park and Forest Glen.
Ald. John Arena's bid for a second term is being challenged by Chicago Police Lt. John Garrido, whom he defeated in 2011, along with Michelle Baert, who publishes a family-friendly website as the 45th Ward Mom, and state regulatory attorney Michael Diaz.
Election Day got off to a smelly start for Arena's campaign, when staffers arriving early Tuesday morning to find fishbait dumped on the threshold of the campaign's headquarters, 4962 N. Milwaukee Ave.
In a tweet, Arena blamed Garrido for the "dirty trick."
Garrido said neither he nor his campaign had anything to do with the incident.
"This is another desperate attempt by John Arena to get media attention," Garrido said. "His accusations are not only false, but once again defamatory."
Two businesses on Tuesday withdrew offers for free food and drink to people who showed their voting receipt.
Community Tavern, in the 45th Ward, offered patrons a free beer after voting, while Portage Grounds, in the 38th Ward, offered free coffee.
The election code says any person who "knowingly gives, lends or promises to give or lend any money or other valuable consideration" to anyone else in an effort to get them to cast a vote is guilty of a class-four felony.
Both offers were withdrawn after the owners were contacted by DNAinfo Chicago.
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