Your Vote: A Guide to the Nov. 6 Election in the Lyons Township Area

For voters in the Lyons Township area, Tuesday's ballots will only offer a few competitive races. Congressional voters will have a choice between either incumbent Dan Lipinski and challenger Richard L. Grabowski (3rd District) or between incumbent Mike Quigley and challenger Dan Schmitt (5th District).

All state House races feature only one candidate, but in two of the state Senate races, Democrat A. Ghani and write-in candidate are challenging incumbent Republicans Kirk Dillard (24th District) and Christine Radogno (41st District), respectively.

(Find out where to vote here!)

Voters will also weigh in on the proposed constitutional amendment making it harder for government bodies to modify their pension systems.

Everything you need to know to make a decision about how to cast your vote can be found on Patch. The links that follow will lead you to candidate profiles and positions, news coverage and candidate blogs.

• Want to talk on election night? Join our live blog at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Let Patch save you time. Subscribe to Patch via email and get news to your inbox or smartphone for free. Fast signup here for La Grange/La Grange Park and for Western Springs.

PRESIDENT

Illinois voters will have four choices for president/vice president teams:

Barack Obama / Joe Biden (Democratic)

Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan (Republican)

Gary Johnson / James P. Gray (Libertarian)

Jill Stein / Howie Hawkins (Green)

Note: While Howie Hawkins' name will appear on Illinois ballots, Jill Stein's actual running mate is Cheri Honkala. Votes for Stein/Hawkins will count for Stein/Honkala.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Republicans are pushing hard to make House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Democratic majorities in the General Assembly an issue. In the Chicago Southland, the GOP challengers are a mix of first-time office seekers and candidates who've battled the Democratic Machine in the past.

7th House: Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D) unopposed 

8th House: La Shawn Ford (D) unopposed

11th Senate: Martin A. Sandoval (D) unopposed

21st House: Silvana Tabares (D) unopposed

24th Senate: Kirk Dillard (R) vs. A. Ghani (D)

41st Senate: Christine Radogno (R) vs. Duane Bradley (Write-in)

47th House: Patricia Bellock (R) unopposed

82nd House: Jim Durkin (R) unopposed

REFERENDA

Electrical Aggregation: Voters in La Grange will have a chance to vote for the Village to negotiate as an aggregated unit for a different electricity supplier in the pursuit of lower electric rates.

As the Village website puts it, "aggregation is a process by which Illinois municipalities can consolidate electrical energy consumption within their communities and leverage that demand to purchase electricity in bulk at a rate discounted below that of what an individual consumer currently pays."

Even if the resolution is approved, voters will still be able to opt out and continue with their current supplier (ComEd).

State Constitutional Amendment: Also on the ballot is an amendment to the state constitution that would require a three-fifths majority for any government body to change its pension system. Both conservative and liberal lobbying groups have lined up against this amendment, saying it's bad policy and doesn't address the problems with the state's pension burdens.

CONGRESS

Two congressional races in northern Illinois are must-watch contests. Democrat Tammy Duckworth's bid to unseat Rep. Joe Walsh, a Tea Party favorite, in the north suburbs has drawn a lot national attention and out-of-district financial support. And in the west suburbs, Rep. Judy Biggert is trying to stay in the House and fend off Bill Foster, a former one-term congressman trying to return to Congress, but the latest polling shows them in a dead heat.

Closer to home ... 

3rd District: Dan Lipinski (D) vs. Richard L. Grabowski (R)

5th District: Mike Quigley (D) vs. Dan Schmitt (R)