Election information

Voting Help: Voting for Judicial Candidates

Community Enagement, Election information, General Information, Local News and Info, Political Science / By /
Judges gavel

Often people skip the judicial candidates on the ballot because they have no idea who to vote for. It is much easier to research other types of candidates. How does the average citizen know which judicial candidates are qualified for the job? If you live in Cook County, the Vote for Judges website makes it easy. The Alliance of Bar Associations has compiled the ratings of 12 different Bar Associations into an easy to read chart in which the candidates are rated on their qualifications and whether each association recommends them or not. You can get to the chart from the Vote for Judges page — scroll down below “November 2022 Retention Election Evaluations” and click on the link for the PDF. (See screenshot below to see where to click – I highlighted the link in yellow.)

If you live in Dupage County, you can go to the Dupage County Bar Association Judicial Candidate ratings or to the Illinois Bar Association’s Judicial Candidates for Dupage County. If you live in Will County, I was only able to find compiles ratings from the Illinois Bar Association’s Judicial Candidate ratings for Will County.

If you need help researching any other candidates, please Ask a Librarian.

How might psychology help us understand the rise of extremism and belief in conspiracy theories?

Election information, Events, Information Literacy, Political Science / By /

Join psychology professors Mitchell Baker, Dr. Laura Lauzen-Collins, and Nick Shizas as they explore psychology concepts that help us better understand the rise of extremism and belief in conspiracy theories.

Voting for Judges

Community Enagement, Election information, General Information, Local News and Info / By /

Voting for judges has always seemed weird for me. How does the average person know if a judge is qualified? This is especially difficult in Cook County where there are so many judges (62 on the ballot). Worry not, the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screenings has compiled a grid that will help you. Each candidate is rated by up to 12 different Bar Associations on whether they are qualified and/or recommended. They have a separate page that summaries judicial candidate recommendations; it even states which associations said no. If you want to look more in depth, Injustice Watch has a Check your Judges page. If you live in another county, the Illinois State Bar Association reviews judicial candidates by county.

File:3D Judges Gavel.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The Electoral College: How does it work and should it be updated?(video)

Election information, Events, History, Political Science / By /

Political Science professor Kevin Navratil will discuss why the Electoral College was created, the process of electing the president, and benefits and drawbacks of this electoral system versus electing the president by a nationwide popular vote. This event is organized by the MVCC Democracy Commitment.

Voting Information for the November 3, 2020 Election

Election information, General Information, In the Headlines, Local News and Info / By /

Key Dates for the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election

  Date  Event
  10/6/2020  Voter registration closes for deputy registrars and local election officials
  10/7/2020  First day of grace period registration and voting
  10/18/2020  Last day to register to vote by online application
  10/19/2020  First day of early voting
  10/29/2020  Last day to request a mail ballot, including military and overseas voters
  11/2/2020  Last day of early voting
  11/2/2020  Last day of grace period registration and voting
  11/3/2020  Last day mail in ballots can be postmarked or dropped off in a secure Mail Ballot Drop Box
  11/3/2020  Election Day

Vote by mail

Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot using the online application. Once your registration is verified and the application is processed, a paper ballot will be sent to the mailing address you designate in your application. The deadline to apply is five days before the election.

The Clerk’s Office will offer secure mail ballot drop boxes. Additionally, the Clerk’s office will offer an Election Day Drop Box in Daley Plaza in Chicago. Ballots may also be returned via USPS.

For the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election, traditional Early Voting will take place October 19-November 2. 

Early Voting locations and hours in suburban Cook County

If you live in the City of Chicago please visit chicagoelections.com for their Early Voting locations and other important information.

Election Day Voting

Registered suburban Cook County voters can only vote in their home precinct on Election Day.

Registered and unregistered Cook County residents can find their assigned polling place with the Your Voter Information tool.

Residents who are not registered to vote may register and cast a ballot on Election Day with same-day registration and voting. Those who wish to register on Election Day must present two qualifying forms of ID.

A voter who needs ID, but who cannot present ID, may cast a Provisional Ballot on Election Day. In order for that Provisional Ballot to be counted, the voter must present ID within 7 days of the election to the Cook County Clerk’s office, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 500, Chicago IL 60602.

Source COOK COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE

Debunking Electoral College Myths

Election information, History, In the Collection / By /

In most U.S. elections, the winner of the popular vote is the winner of the election. As we have seen many times, that is not always the case in the presidential election due to our Electoral College system. In particular, the winner-take-all laws in many states have resulted in the winner of the popular vote losing the election. This has led to millions of votes being effectively ignored and swing states, and swing state issues, carrying more weight than others.

Many people, for many years, have felt that the Electoral College system is unfair. It is a system that came about because of slavery and the result is that some votes count more than others. Since 1797, there have been roughly 800 attempts in Congress to get rid of the system. These have come from states both large and small and from both sides of the aisle. Defenders of the Electoral College point to reasons like: It protects small states. It’s what The Founders wanted. The way it works is written into the Constitution. Democrats will always win without it.

These are all myths. There is a way to fix it. Watch this short, informative video from The New York Times to find out more. To delve even deeper into the topic, these books from the MVCC Library are a great next step.

Illinois’ primary election continues through today

Election information, General Information, In the Headlines, Local News and Info / By /

The March 17, 2020, Illinois primary election includes voting for the Democratic presidential primary, the race for Cook County State’s attorney, the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and the Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court, plus others. To register on election day, residents must bring two forms of identification, one with a current address, to your polling place for same-day voting. Polling places throughout Illinois are scheduled to be open until 7:00 PM today.

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