In Illinois, voters are tasked with deciding on judges at three different levels: the Supreme Court, appellate courts, and circuit courts. Jonah Newman of Injustice Watch explains this year’s judicial election and why voting for local judges is so important.
Beyond the presidential race and local representatives on ballots, many Illinois voters will be tasked with deciding the future of a number of judges this November.
Voters in Illinois will be asked to choose their circuit and appellate court judges, but it may not be as simple as choosing a candidate.
Some will be asked whether to keep those already on the bench in place, and voters in two districts will be asked to conform the election of two members of the state’s Supreme Court to 10-year terms.
It can seem daunting to try to figure out which candidates to vote for, but there are resources that can help you make an informed decision.
Here is a primer on which judges will be on your ballot, and how to research them:
Which judges will be on the ballot?
Illinois voters are asked to vote for judges at three different levels of the state’s court system: the Supreme Court, the appellate court and the circuit court.
The highest court is the state’s Supreme Court, comprised of seven justices representing five different districts. One of those districts, which covers Cook County, sends three justices to the court, and Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham is running for a full 10-year term this November.
The fourth district in western Illinois is also voting on a seat, with Justice Lisa Holder White running unopposed.
The next level down is the appellate court system, which is also divided into five districts. There are multiple elections in this area of the judiciary, as there are in the next level down, which is known as the circuit court. This level is essentially the “front line” of the legal system, according to experts, and there are a slew of vacancies and retention votes there, based on counties.
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Supreme Court and appellate court justices serve 10-year terms, while circuit court judges hold six-year terms.
How can I research judges?
There's no shortage of resources for navigating the voting around judges in Illinois.
Cook County
Voters in Cook County can turn to a few different resources, including a massive guide published by Injustice Watch. The interactive guide provides information on 75 circuit court judges and two appellate court judges that are running for retention or election to full terms in the area.
The guide pulls ratings and data from different bar associations, and even highlights potential controversies and key rulings from judicial candidates.
The best part is that you can print off a list of the judges that will be on your ballot and bring them into the voting booth with you.
The Chicago Bar Association also rates judges in Cook County, using a scale that has three categories: Highly Qualified, Qualified, or Not Recommended, using feedback from attorneys within the judicial system.
Across Illinois
Outside of Cook County, there are several other resources available, including the guide from the Illinois State Bar Association, which offers reviews of candidates from members of the ISBA, and also advisory polls of non-ISBA members.
Judges are then given a grade of Highly Recommended, Recommended or Not Recommended.
Lake County
Several suburban counties also have rankings of their own, including the Lake County Bar Association.
DuPage County
The DuPage County Bar Association also has its own ranking.
