As you are undoubtedly aware, next Tuesday, February 2, 2010, is a primary election day in Illinois. In addition to voting for the governor, senator, congress members and numerous other elected officials, at the bottom of the ballot is a category of candidate frequently ignored - judges.
Judges make all kinds of critical decisions every day - who goes to jail versus who stays free; whether mom or dad get custody of kids; who was at fault in a car accident; and numerous other decisions, big and small. It is the responsibility of all of us as citizens to elect qualified, impartial judges who will make the right decisions.
Please take ten minutes today, over the weekend or Monday to educate yourself about the candidates. Numerous bar associations and other organizations evaluate judges and produce reports and information on the candidates and their qualifications, and this information is all available freely online:
For Cook County residents: VoteForJudges.org
For residents of other counties: Illinois State Bar Judical Evaluations
(For information on non-judicial candidates, an excellent resource is Project Vote Smart)
You may print out anything you want from these pages to bring with you to the polling place on Tuesday.