For the majority of voters, the judicial races, aka all those unfamiliar names at the bottom of the ballot, get either a default vote of “yes,” “no,” or they skip over them, saying, “I don’t know anything about them.”
Local judges have as much impact on your life, if not more, than the American President. These are people who make decisions about our community, our families, employment, health care, civil rights, housing, safety and even traffic tickets every day. They have too much power to dismiss as insignificant.
If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, there’s still time to be an educated voter without having to stay up nights reading court records. We’ve given you a good start by listing some informative, non-profit resources below. All are non-partisan designed to help you make your own choices. While some sites listed are focused on Cook County, similar sites are available for any county.
Check them out:
VoteForJudges: Find out the recommendations for local judicial candidates from The Alliance of Bar Association made up of 12 independent bar associations whose members rate judges on their qualifications.
BallotReady: Put in your address and have every referendum and candidate on your ballot explained.
Ballotpedia: Rich in information, this site can give you a preview of your ballot, information about all the candidates, and issues you’ll be asked to vote on, from gun control to taxes. Both Cook and DuPage Counties are reviewed.
Vote 411: Besides everything you need to know about locating your polling place and checking your registration, you see videos from each candidate on your ballot talking about their stand on issues. It’s also helpful to match faces to those names.
Injustice Watch: While this site was published for the Primary in March, it does a good job explaining the differences between the types of judges, what that means to you, and crucial elements to consider when voting.
ISideWith: As an interactive site, you fill out a comprehensive questionnaire about which topics are most important to you and how you feel about them, i.e., for or against specific taxes. When completed, you’ll see which parties most closely align with your opinions.
Illinois State Board of Elections: Some useful information about campaign funds, local candidates, and voting security.
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