Hey there! If you’re a voter in Chicago and still haven’t cast your ballot in today’s election, you’ve got until 7 p.m. And if you’re undecided, my colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ created an easy-to-read guide. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Welcome to Election Day … or Election Week?

We might not know which two mayoral candidates will advance to the April 4 runoff for a few days because of mail-in ballots, reports my colleague Fran Spielman.

“The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners processed 214,000 vote-by-mail applications, but only 102,000 of those ballots had been returned as of noon Monday,” Spielman writes.

If the margin between the second- and third-place candidates is close, it could take as long as the weekend to figure out the finalists, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections said.

The same goes for some City Council races, which tend to have much smaller margins. Spielman reports some contests may not be called until March 14, which is the deadline to count mail-in and provisional ballots. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. What to watch tonight after the polls close

Will Mayor Lori Lightfoot make it to the runoff or become the first incumbent in 40 years to lose reelection? That’s one of many things to keep an eye on as results begin to roll in tonight and perhaps through the week.

WBEZ will provide live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. You can find it online, on the WBEZ app or at 91.5 FM.

And my friends at the Chicago Sun-Times also have a great live blog that will be updated throughout the night.

Another thing to watch is whether self-proclaimed progressives advance Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson or U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García to the runoff — or if voters are split and both candidates sink.

“Progressive leaders have no one to blame but themselves if García or Johnson do not make it to the runoff,” writes my colleague Lynn Sweet, who takes a look at the stakes for progressives. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Conservative justices question Biden’s authority in forgiving student loan debt

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments over President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive an estimated $400 billion in federal student loans over 30 years.

And several conservative justices in the court’s 6-3 majority suggested the Biden administration overstepped its authority, reports the Associated Press.

“If you’re talking about this in the abstract, I think most casual observers would say if you’re going to give up that much … money. If you’re going to affect the obligations of that many Americans on a subject that’s of great controversy, they would think that’s something for Congress to act on,” said Chief Justice John Roberts.

More than 25 million Americans have applied to have up to $20,000 in federal student loans forgiven under the plan, according to the Biden administration.

The president and his supporters say a 2003 law known as the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act allows the secretary of education to waive or modify the terms of federal student loans in times of a national emergency. [AP]

4. Ohio’s toxic train wreck raises concerns about a Chicago-area railroad merger

State lawmakers and suburban officials are urging federal regulators to delay a decision on Canadian Pacific Railway’s acquisition of the Kansas City Southern Railway, reports the Daily Herald.

“A derailment like we saw in Ohio would be catastrophic,” said state Rep. Maura Hirschauer of Batavia, adding that thousands of suburban residents live along Canadian Pacific tracks.

A spokesman for Canadian Pacific said the railway is “legally required to transport hazardous materials as part of their common carrier obligations.”

But opponents say Canadian Pacific’s proposal appears to lack any safety upgrades aimed at preventing toxic wrecks. [Daily Herald]

5. Chicago’s City Council has only spent 40% of its time so far this year on legislating, an analysis found

If you’ve never watched a meeting of the City Council, those things go on for what feels like forever.

A new analysis from the Better Government Association found the council has spent a whopping 60% on recognizing honorary stuff, like significant birthdays, retirements, tributes and other nonbinding resolutions.

“Over the course of 49 meetings held since City Council began posting video recordings in November 2019, one-third of the active meeting time — from the commencement of regular business following public comment to the adjournment gavel at the end — has been spent on tributary, memorial or otherwise honorary matters,” the nonprofit newsroom reports.

Other big cities, like New York and Houston, have rules limiting the number of honorary resolutions or the amount of time spent on them. [Better Government Association]

Here’s what else is happening

• Rupert Murdoch admitted under oath that Fox News stars “endorsed” lies about the 2020 election. [NPR]
• Up to 700,000 Illinois residents could lose their Medicaid health coverage this year. [Chicago Tribune]
• People who think they’re attractive are less likely to wear masks, according to a study. [NPR]
• Scientists are trying to figure out what time it is on the moon. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Inflation is hitting the Tooth Fairy.

Yup, you read that right. An online survey of 1,000 parents found the going rate for a tooth is now $6.23 in the U.S., up 16% from last year, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The survey, conducted by Delta Dental, found parents in the Midwest were a little more stingy, shelling out an average of $5.63 per tooth.

Kids in the South got the most at $6.59 per tooth. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

I really want to see the movie Cocaine Bear. And I just realized the Oscars are coming up in a couple of weeks. So I’d like to know what movies you’ve enjoyed recently.

Steffie writes:

“This weekend I watched Operation Mincemeat on Netflix. It’s a fascinating, real-life WWII spy thriller with a great cast (Colin Firth and Matthew MacFadyen star). Like most media ‘based on a true story’ these days, the filmmakers took some creative liberties, so you may want to do some post-viewing research/fact checking… I feel it’s only fair to the real people and their descendants.

“A few weeks ago I enjoyed The Pez Outlaw, also on Netflix! It’s a delightfully fun and slick documentary about an eccentric collector, with an unexpectedly heartfelt ending.”

Feel free to email me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.