With COVID cases once again rising in Chicago and the holidays rapidly approaching, we kick off the November 2021 Serafin Power Poll looking at vaccine mandates for Chicago police officers.

Earlier this month, a Cook County Circuit Court judge ruled that, while the City could require police officers to report their vaccination status, it could not enforce a December 31 deadline for all officers to be vaccinated. Other city departments are still subject to the vaccine mandate, as well as the reporting requirement, so we asked Serafin Power Pollers if they thought CPD officers should be required to be vaccinated against COVID. The vast majority (75.7%) said that the mandate should apply to police officers, while 24.3% said they should not be required to get the shot.

We’re quickly heading into the holiday shopping season, with Black Friday deals, crowded stores and the same six songs playing on a loop. But with COVID cases in Chicago trending back up and the continued requirement to wear masks in public places, would it be easier to just shop online, from the comfort of your couch? Serafin Power Pollers were pretty evenly split between preferring to shop in-person or online. Among those who said they wanted to shop in-person, 16.7% said they weren’t concerned about crowds, while 32.4% said they just preferred the in-store experience. For those who prefer to online shop this year, 26.5% said they’re always happier shopping from home, while 24.5% said they were more comfortable staying out of the stores this year.

After a few different iterations, in late October the Illinois legislature approved the state’s congressional map for the next 10 years. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project, which does nonpartisan analysis of legislative maps, gave the state’s congressional map an ‘F’, giving it failing grades in partisan fairness, competitiveness and geographic features. The State Senate map also received an ‘F’, but the House map got a ‘B’. Maybe that’s why a majority (78.9%) of respondents said an independent, non-political commission should draw legislative maps going forward. Of note, 12.5% said that the majority party should continue to draw legislative maps, while 8.6% said the process should stay in the hands of politicians, but the process should be bipartisan.

The City has recently received five bids from companies looking to operate Chicago’s first casino and, with four potential locations reported, it’s clear that Serafin Power Pollers prefer a Loop-centric location. Of the reported locations, 32% of respondents prefer the McCormick Place Lakeside Center, just north of the Stevenson and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The next highest percentage (23.3%) think the casino should be at the not-yet-built 78 Chicago site, located just south of the Loop, while another 18.5% want the casino at 31^st and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Only 11.7% think it should at the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center in River West, while 14.6% weren’t happy with any of these proposed locations.

After the Sky’s WNBA Championship and the Bulls’ hot start, Chicago is once again feeling like a basketball powerhouse, which is welcome news considering the lackluster Bears season and the…well, let’s not even talk about the Blackhawks. Serafin Power Pollers are feeling optimistic for the Bulls, with 78.2% saying they expect the team to make the playoffs this year. Another 21.8% don’t see a playoff berth in the Bulls’ future, but we expect them to be rooting for them anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to all who participated in this month’s Serafin Power Poll!

A total of 410 Serafin Power Poll members were surveyed and the participation rate was 25.4%. The Serafin Power Poll is not a scientific poll, but rather a fascinating and non-partisan glimpse into the attitudes and opinions of the decision-makers and thought leaders in the Chicago region.