Voter Education in Judicial Elections
In the 2008 general election, more voters than ever before headed to Cook County polling sites. Thanks to a grant from the Herb Block Foundation and individual contributions, the Vote For Judges campaign was a success, allowing new and current voters to become educated about the importance of voting for qualified judges through the website, media appearances and literature distributed by area community organizations.
Research and Advocacy
Over five million people reside in Cook County (nearly half of all Illinois residents), making it the second largest county by population in the United States. In Cook County, Illinois, court judges are elected by voters. Each election season, between 60 and 75 candidates seek retention, and another 20-30 candidates seek election, making the judicial portion of the ballot one of the longest in the nation. Research conducted nationally and in Cook County has illustrated that responsible voters want easy access to information about judicial elections in general and judicial candidates in particular.
For the 2004 judicial retention elections, Chicago Appleseed produced a website and education campaign, Vote For Judges, aimed at providing the data voters need to cast an informed ballot in the Cook County judicial elections. With the click of a button, visitors to voteforjudges.org found the judicial evaluations and recommendations of all area bar associations and newspapers in usable, understandable, and downloadable form. The voteforjudges.org website also offered information on voter registration, absentee voting, and polling locations. Each election season, the Vote For Judges campaign and website strives to reach new and existing voters in Cook County before they head to the polls.
Publications
- Electing Judges in Cook County: The Role of Money, Political Party, and the Voters
- Electing Judges in Cook County - Executive Summary
News
Resources