I believe in polls.

If done properly, I think pre-election polls have a great track record of predicting results.

This year, however, the poll results have been all over the place. State Sen. Bill Brady's lead over Gov. Pat Quinn's, for example, has varied from 13 points to non-existent in the last four weeks. The publicly-released polls don't paint a picture that TV pundits can easily describe to us.

Early voting periods and voting by mail are also going to affect election results and will cause them to vary from final poll numbers because people who have already voted won't see late TV ads.

In 1994 I worked on my first political campaigns for Democratic candidates who should have won but didn't. This year is going to feel a lot like that for Illinois Democrats, with a few minor exceptions. The governor's race is closer than it was 16 years ago, but the Republican momentum is significant enough to have Democrats doubting.

I think I know how this one is going to break out. Do you?

Try to beat me and you'll win $30 to Starbucks.

All you have to do to is post your election predictions in the comments section below before 6 a.m. on Nov. 2. Please only submit one round of guesses.

We'll announce the winner Wednesday, assuming all the races have been called by then.

Indicate a winner for each of the following races in the comments below. As a bonus, predict the final vote percentage for Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

You get one point for each race you predict correctly; the Lisa Madigan statewide vote percentage will be the tie-breaker in case of a tie.

US Senate: Mark Kirk / Alexi Giannoulias

Governor: Bill Brady / Pat Quinn

U.S. House: Robert Dold / Dan Seals

Ill. House: Lauren Turelli / Karen May

Lake County Board: Carl Marcyan / Anne Bassi 

Lake County Circuit Judge: Wallace Dunn / Mark Levitt

Bonus question/Tiebreaker: What will Lisa Madigan's vote total percentage be?

My predictions: Kirk, Brady, Seals, May, Bassi and Levitt. Lisa Madigan will get 67.8% of the vote (she got 72.4% against another unknowni n 2006).

Pick the winner, beat me and win $30 to Starbucks from Highland Park Patch. Good luck!