Three generations of the Grizzard/Wallace family walked to the McGaw YMCA to vote in Evanston’s April 1 consolidated municipal election Tuesday afternoon. 

The 2nd Ward residents have an ancestor who was told to enlist in the armed forces to secure his right to vote, said Joy Grizzard, the eldest of the three. She said after he finished his service, he still faced challenges voting due to the poll taxes in place. 

Now, with greater access to voting, Grizzard, her daughter and granddaughter have cast their ballots together in every election since 2020.

“We may not always have that power to vote, quite frankly, so I think now more than ever it is important for people of all generations, old and young,” said Grizzard’s granddaughter, Julia Wallace (Medill ’22).  

The Grizzard/Wallace family was joined by several Evanston voters who cast their ballots at one of the 24 available polling stations Tuesday. The Daily spoke to voters at eight stations, spanning all nine wards, about their priorities going into the election. 

Several residents highlighted the value of candidates’ experience when deciding for whom to vote. 

4th Ward resident Ted Perez said he voted for incumbents Mayor Daniel Biss and Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) because he trusted their “proven track records” and engagement in the community.

This sentiment was reaffirmed by 7th Ward resident Andrea Versenyi, who said she voted for Parielle Davis over Kerry Mundy in the 7th Ward City Council race because Davis presented herself as more experienced. 

“At a meet and greet, Kerry Mundy, when asked why people should vote for him, said, ‘Well, (I’m) a regular guy,’” Versenyi said. “I don’t want a regular guy, I want somebody who is sharp and will hold people’s feet to the fire.”

Some residents, like Wallace, alternatively appreciated that Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd), who she voted to reelect in a race of three candidates, was “just a human.”

On the school board side of the election, several voters prioritized candidates who would help resolve Evanston/Skokie School District 65’s current financial state. Currently, the district is facing a $13.2 million deficit. 

Versenyi, who has no affiliation with the district, said she chose her candidates based on recommendations from the organizations she follows, such as CREW65, a group focused on racial equity. 

Perez, whose youngest child is an eighth grader in the district, said he looked for candidates who seemed like they would follow through on what they promised in their campaigns. 

“It was really getting candidates that I felt comfortable with that were going to turn the ship around and be focused on not only education and the kids, but also the financial management of it,” Perez said. 

Second Ward resident Jo Ann Flores-Deter looked for candidates who supported her values as a Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies parent. 

District rules forced Flores-Deter to move her fourth grade son from Dewey Elementary School to Bessie Rhodes. The district’s decision to close seventh and eighth grade classrooms in November almost forced her older son, an eighth grader at Bessie Rhodes, to leave the school. The decision was later reversed. 

“This election really made me focus on who was coming back in, who the people that we were voting for because it has been such a horrible experience so far,” Flores-Deter said. 

While residents listed a slew of priorities, some focused their concerns on Envision Evanston 2045, the city’s new comprehensive plan and rezoning overhaul. Biss originally spearheaded the plan and faced criticism for its rushed timeline. 

Part of the plan includes more high-rise development in the city, which 5th Ward resident Stephen Hicks said he opposes. 

“Obviously these big buildings and everything (are) cool, but you also want to remember the little people like my grandfather, who’s been here for fifty years almost,” Hicks said. 

Hicks did not disclose for whom he voted for mayor, but he said he was looking for candidates who care about the people. 

Second Ward resident and Signature Homes Realty owner Michael Marin, however, welcomed the plan and the developments that will come with it. 

“I think it’s good, even those tall buildings,” Marin said. “Evanston’s been sleepy since the pandemic, and we need higher-end restaurants, we need more services, we need more tax roll.”

Some residents tied their concerns to the disunity in the federal government.

While many said they appreciated Evanston’s progressive nature, others felt the city still had room for improvement. 

“I feel like Evanston is about as divided as the country is,” Versenyi said. “There’s a lot of hostility and meanness, and I would like to see us work as a community.”

Hannah Webster, Marisa Guerra Echeverria, Jack Baker, Audrey Pachuta and Ben Shapiro contributed reporting. 

Email: a.prakash@dailynorthwestern.com  

X: @anavi_52

Email: sophiebaker2028@u.northwestern.edu 

Related Stories: 

— Parielle Davis leads 7th Ward City Council race 

— New Envision Evanston draft deemphasizes higher-density housing 

— District 65 board unanimously approves $13.3 million spending reduction