ashar quraishi is live. you are in a polling station. what turn out have you observed? >> good afternoon. that's right. we are inside a polling location on the city's north-west side an elementary school. it's pretty quiet and light here in terms of traffic through this morning. we are halfway through the day. the polls open. they'll be open until 7:00p.m. local time. we have seen a number of voters come through. it's been light. the february 24th election had low voter turn out. we have seen the early voting in the election has been high. 142,000 people cast the ballots, including mayor ron emanuel and his challenger garcia out and about on the trail, making for a last-ditch effort to push for the polls, because turn out will be. >> ashar quraishi a two-pronged question. who does low voter tonne out help. what are the big issues in the campaign? >> well that's a good question. what we have seen in the last election in the february 24th election is mayor ron emanuel carried a vast majority of the ward but did not get the vote which is why we are in a run-off today. some

ashar quraishi is outside a polling station in chicago. what was the turn out like stood. >> that is a big question. light turn out. that was concern for both candidates. really they were looking for supporters to come out and vote. turn out was key to the campaigns. we are starting to get unofficial results from the board of election commission from the city for the run off. with half the precincts reporting there's a double digit lead as predicted in the polls for the mayor, standing at under 5% with challenges as 44%. early in the night, the unofficial results. have been hearing for a few weeks how the two candidates differ on the issues including how to solve the financial lows of the city looking at deficits when it comes to funding pensions and how to deal with 1.1 billion in shortfall. different ideas coming from the candidates. both the candidates voted early. that is something we saw jump in the run off. 142,000 people voted early, that is increased by 50,000 from the february general election and a jump from the last election in

. >>> ashar quraishi in chicago. >> there'll be a meeting between cuba and the u.s. the first since diplomatic relations was discussed. cuba wants to be removed from a lift of state sfon source president obama is waiting on a recommendation from the state department >>> the u.s. military is offering assistance to the saudi-led coalition fighting houthi rebels. they are providing forces. and the u.s. said it increased intelligence sharing with the saudis as fighters storm a border post killing two soldiers. >>> kansas has outlawed a common method of abortion. the reasoning behind the law change and why one group plans to fight it in court >>> hail heavy rain and wind - severe whether is about to hit the country. it's likely to get worse in the next couple of days. >>> spring storms in the midwest. it pay be the beginning of days of severe weather across much of the country, meteorologist kevin corriveau is here. look like an active weather map. >> we are, it's april. we expect to see a lot of storms. we have a quiet maften we have the number -- march, there's a number

ashar quraishi heads there now. >> reporter: we are crossing the river into iowa home to the first presidential caucus. we are a year away but candidates and hopefuls have begun to criss-cross the state. politics presidential politics - who is run, who should be - is taken seriously in iowa. >> if the election were today and hillary clinton was the democrat party... >> reporter: in a coffee shop a grow of democratics activists gathered to talk - what else - fol ticks. -- politics. they want hillary clinton as a front runner and her nomination is inevitable. >> a good primary is good for the party. that in the end will energy more voters. >> i don't want to be told by the national media that our candidate is going to be hillary clinton. >> hello iowa. >>> clinton visited iowa once in 2008. >> i'm back. >> where she finished a disappointing third to president obama. she came to the hawkeye state to bid farewell to outgoing senator tom harkin. >> i know that in your state you'll nist on meeting the canned -- insist on meeting the candidates. >> a number of rivals are trying to fill the voi. former