Live Updates: Elections 2020 In Illinois

A parking lot just off the highway in Hoffman Estates slowly filled up with cars driven by supporters of freshman U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D) starting around 6:30 p.m.

Several supporters brought lawn chairs to enjoy the unseasonably high temperatures, setting up small group tailgates to watch the returns come in on the big screen.

“I can feel the energy even though we’re in a giant parking lot,” said Reid McCollum, a Casten supporter who said he was not politically active until the 2016 presidential election.

The drive-in movie theater is hosting Casten’s election night event, the campaign’s first in-person gathering in months.

Former Illinois Rep. Jeanne Ives (R) is challenging Casten, with hopes of returning the suburban district to the GOP. The seat flipped blue in 2018 and is one of several suburban races being watched closely across the country. It could be one that helps determine who controls Congress in the next session.

Ives opted for a virtual election night event with supporters over Zoom. She is also expected to deliver a speech on Facebook Live once results are in.

McCollum said he’s hopeful the country will know who wins the presidential election soon and “doesn’t come down to lawyers trying to stop counting in Pennsylvania.”