Cook County Chief Circuit Judge Timothy C. Evans will face his second contested election today as he looks to extend his tenure to a sixth term as top judge.

The county’s 241 circuit judges are set to meet on the 17th floor of the Daley Center at 3 p.m. to cast their votes between Evans and challenger Thomas R. Allen, a circuit judge in the Chancery Division.

Circuit Judge Sandra Gisela Ramos also entered her name into the running to unseat Evans, but withdrew her candidacy on Wednesday.

In a letter obtained by the Daily Law Bulletin dated Sept. 14, Ramos wrote that her decision came “after much deliberation.”

“At the root of my candidacy lay the desire that all our judges become full and equal partners in every phase of our judiciary. In this regard, there must be strict adherence to Supreme Court Rule 39,” Ramos wrote, referring to the rule that governs the associate judge-selection process. “I believe in the necessity of diversity in positions of greater responsibilities particularly in the [j]udiciary.”

As the judges gather, they will each receive packets containing several ballots on which their votes will be cast.

After the roll is called and the floor is opened for nominations, Evans and Allen will receive a nominating motion from one of their colleagues. The candidates will then speak regarding reasons they deserve a vote.

A judge who seconds each candidate’s nomination will also speak on their behalf, and the candidates are allowed one observer to oversee and potentially challenge the ballot-counting process.

The chief judge’s term runs for three years. It’s only the second time since Evans was first elected chief judge Sept. 12, 2001, that he will face an opponent.

In 2010, Evans beat out former circuit judge William D. Maddux — then the presiding judge of the Law Division — in a 174-82 vote to remain at the top.

Judges have stayed relatively tight-lipped about the election, its process and its implications — with most citing caution against appearing to influence the process in any way.

Since today’s victor will have discretion over each Cook County judge’s bench assignment, there’s also understandable wariness about publicly picking a side.

But that doesn’t mean the circuit judges won’t have several factors on their mind.

Evans said he thinks the most important item judges will consider is the progress made under his administration to establish problem-solving courts and provide services to those in the court system who need access to them.

He cited his time climbing the ranks, serving as presiding judge in the Domestic Relations and Law Divisions before taking the top spot.

Neither of his challengers have as extensive a judicial resume, Evans said, referring to both Allen and Ramos.

“And none have even served a full term, so I think experience will be an issue,” he said.

Allen was appointed to the bench in 2010 by the Supreme Court and was elected to a full six-year term in 2012.

Both Evans and Allen spent time on the Chicago City Council before joining the judiciary.

Immediately prior to his appointment, Allen was the 38th Ward alderman representing the Northwest Side since 1993. Evans was alderman in the 4th Ward from 1973 until 1991, when he lost the seat to Toni Preckwinkle — now the Cook County Board president.

And in 1989, Evans was a candidate in the Chicago mayoral race, losing to then-Cook County state’s attorney Richard M. Daley.

Allen was an assistant public defender from 1977 to 1986 and an attorney with Chapekis, Marcus, Allen & Chapekis from 1986 until his judicial appointment.

A similar request for comment from Allen regarding issues and concerns ahead of today’s election was not returned by publication.

Evans said he anticipates his colleagues will also look forward as they weigh who among their choices is “better prepared to shepherd the court to the future in a way that provides services for the general public that must come before us to litigate their cases.”

The circuit judges will vote on that future until one candidate receives a majority, or 121 votes.