Sub-Zero Wind Chills Expected as Polls Open Tuesday. Will Voters Brave the Cold?

When polls open Tuesday at 6 a.m., voters and poll workers will be greeted with sub-zero wind chills in Chicago and across northeast Illinois, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast for Election Day.

It will feel more like January than March, the weather service said, with wind chills struggling to top single digits even by noon on Tuesday.

Could the cold have an icy effect on voter turnout?

“Chicago weather has long played a role in Election Day turnout, as well as whether election judges show up to their assigned sites in the morning,” said Max Bever, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections.




https://news.wttw.com/2026/03/16/sub-zero-wind-chills-expected-polls-open-tuesday-will-voters-brave-cold