ELECTION DAY

Tomorrow is arguably one of the most important days of the year – Election Day. Voting is a privilege and here at LauraLaw, we encourage everyone to go out and exercise that privilege! You really cannot complain about the government or system if you do not bother to vote. It is one of the most important privileges of being an American citizen, along with jury duty and military service. Polls open at 6am and close at 7pm, and if you don’t know your polling location, you can find it through the Illinois State Board of Elections. Here is a quick glimpse at the elections going on tomorrow:

• Cook County Circuit Court – There are over 60 announced vacancies up for grabs for the Cook County Circuit Judge election. Find a full list of vacancies here. Various legal groups, including the Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers ranked and screened judicial candidates based on their qualifications. Ranking can vary from group to group, but there are some candidates who were recommended, or deemed not qualified, by all 12 Chicago-area bar associations. We encourage everyone to read about the candidates to make informed decisions tomorrow! Keep in mind there are county wide contested races as well as specific subcircuit races. So, depending on the subcircuit in which you live, you ballot may differ.

• Illinois Appellate Judge Elections – There are four appellate judge vacancies; two from the first appellate district and two from the fifth appellate district. Cook County comprises the first appellate district. The fifth district, located in Southern Illinois, is comprised of 37 counties. Click here for a full list of vacancies.

• Cook County State’s Attorney– The current Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez, is running for re-election against Kim Foxx and Donna More. This is SA Alvarez’ first contested run in the democratic primary in 8 years. The three candidates have participated in numerous debates over the last few months, most recently a round table debate on Chicago tonight. On the Republican side, Christopher Pfannkuche is running unopposed. Click here to view the debate and learn about the candidates.

• Illinois State Senate Primaries – There are a total of 40 seats up for election in the Illinois State Senate. The majority of districts only have one major party candidate, but approximately 10 districts will see a contested election come November. To see if the senate seat in your district is up for election, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections One of the most interesting races to watch is the 5^th District State Representative Race. President Barack Obama recently endorsed candidate Juliana Stratton. It is the first time in history that a sitting President has decided to endorse this type of race.

• 2016 Presidential Primaries – Many people turn their attention to the November presidential elections, but the primaries are just as important. The Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The Republican candidates are Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump.

Happy Voting from all of us at LauraLaw!