Crap.. who ELSE do I vote for?

[PotatoBoy]

I was just sitting here thinking about tomorrow's election... and I remembered that there will also be choices for people running for the senate, etc. I already know I'm voting for Kerry/Edwards, and Obama. But are there any other names I should know? What if I don't recognize them, can I just leave them empty?
Sorry, I'm new to this voting thing.. :)

[demnan]

1. Simple

You want Kerry to have a cooperation in the legislature and in your state government so just look for the "D" after their names. Chances are they are closer to your beliefs than the ones who have an "R" after their names.

[PotatoBoy]

2. OK.. I was worried that there may not be an indication of party

..just their name, which would throw me off.
Thanks!

[bullimiami]

7. time for a little research.

you will probably have some judicial, local, bond or amendment issues on the ballot as well.
you are obviously internet savvy.
find out what will be on the ballot.
find information on the issues.
find recommendations from sources you are likely to respect. ie local paper, local democratic party, local green party, friends and family.

you should be able to find enough info online before tomorrow to make you an informed voter.

[XNASA]

3. Go here. See what you think.

http://www.iviipo.org/resources.html

Voting for judges is alway difficult. But I would trust the Independent Voters of Illinois webpage.

[LSK]

4. yeah, they will indicate whether a candidate is R or D

Republican or Democrat.

I trust you will be voting all democrats in. :)

[Lefta Dissenter]

5. On our Wisconsin ballots

we have the option of voting a straight ticket. You may well have the same option on your ballots. That way, even if you have never heard of the people who are running for dog-catcher, at least you'll be getting a Dem! :D

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Illinois got rid of straight party voting a number of years ago.....

The repukes who then controlled the state government hated it.

[aquart]

6. A virgin????

Awwwwwwwww. What an experience for your first time.

I'm a big ticket-splitter in normal years, like most Americans, but this isn't a normal year.

Now would be a nice time to vote straight Democratic. I will vote for Satan if Satan is on the Democratic line this year. The Republicans need an unambiguous wake-up call. Many Republicans are repudiating BushCo but they can't take back their party if we don't give them ammunition at the polls.

If you have any ballot propositions, google that for your area and read up on them.

[bullimiami]

8. aquart this brings us something ive been mulling

i think democrats have been relatively frequent ticket splitters over the last 20-30 years.
i think with the rank partisanship the republicans have displayed and the lack of respect for the democrats this is probably changed this year.

we might all be in for a pleasant surprise. dems already outnumbered the repugs and with the new registrations it is ever more so, and new voters didnt register just to sit this one out, they will have a very high turnout.

[ieoeja]

10. If you're in Cook County, following is info regarding judges:

Following is a list of judges and which bar associations recommend your voting "NO" for Retention:

Melvin J. Cole - Chicago Council of Lawyers
Leida J. Gonzalez-Santiago - Chicago Council of Lawyers
Arnett R. Hubbard - Chicago Council of Lawyers
Dorothy F. Jones - OPPOSED BY ALL NINE BAR ASSOCIATIONS
William D. Maddux - opposed by Lesbian/Gay Alliance
Susan Jeanine McDunn - OPPOSED BY ALL BAR ASSOCIATIONS
Dennis James Morrissey - Cook County Bar
William D. O'Neal - Chicago Council of Lawyers
William Michael Phelan - Black Women Lawyers, Cook County Bar and Lesbian/Gay Alliance
Edna M. Turkington - Chicago Council of Lawyers


Most candidates running for a vacant judgeship have no opponent. Following is a summary of the bar associations recommendations for those who are opposed:

Appelate Court - 1st District
Aurelia Marie Pucinski - rated highly by Black Women, Women and Hispanic/Puerto-Rican.
James Fitzgerald Smith - rated highly by Black Women, Cook County and Jews

I'm going with Pucinski in this one. But it looks like a bit of a tossup.


4th Subcircuit
Mary Ann Jennings - she and her opponent are both rated well by seven bar associations and negatively by two. Both are opposed by Lesbian/Gay Alliance, so that's a wash. She is opposed by Cook County Bar while her opponent gets a negative rating from Chicago Lawyers. Given that Cook County politics make Chicago seem clean by comparison, I'm voting for Mary Ann.

10th Subcircuit
William Timothy O'Brien - gets the highest rating of any judge in any race while his opponent receives a perfect negative score.

11th Subcircuit
Sam LaBarbera - Chicago Lawyers don't like him, but everyone, including Chicago Lawyers, don't like his opponent.

12th Subcircuit
James D. Wascher - almost as highly recommended as the O'Brien boy while his opponent gets lots of negative ratings.

15th Subcircuit
John Thomas Doody Jr. - same as above in the 12th.

[GinaMaria]

16. great list

I plan to print this out and take it with me into the booth. Thanks

[almostallhere]

17. thanks for posting this

i was just going to go find this to post it here...

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Well, the first question is what is your precinct?

Get a sample copy of your ballot from your election commission.

The one we've had the hardest time with is the judges. It's hard to find information on them to make a good decision.

[barb162]

12. the judges thing drives me nuts. I am in DuPage and I found

only the IL State Bar in conjunction with the DuPage Bar does evaluations. I wouldn't trust any evaluation by two basically GOP bar assns. THe CHicago Bar, WOmen's Bar, etc., organizations only do Cook County. I am voting against or withholding on the judges as the GOP here puts them up and we end up with people like Joe Birkett, Jim Ryan , etal, for DUpage County State's Attorney. Both should have been disbarred in my humble re the Rolando Cruz and other cases

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. You should join us at the Hilton tomorrow!

Would love the chance to meet you! :)

I'm taking the same stance on the judges. I'm just going to vote no on all of them. We're on the same page.

[barb162]

14. which Hilton

are you in DuPage Democrats?

[Norquist Nemesis]

18. Sorry for the delay...

been pollwatching.

No, not DuPage Democrats, but the Naperville Township Democratic Organization. We'll be at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville just east of Naperville Rd and Warrenville Rd.

:)

[GinaMaria]

15. I contacted an lawyer friend who said

judges i am voting NO

charles burns
thomas fecoratta
bertina lampkin
william patrick o'malley
sharon marie sullivan

judges i am voting YES
kathleen mary pantle (she is phenomenal)

the other judges i have had little or no experience with. vote however you choose, but i urge you to vote NO on those listed above.

thanks for asking.

She's a criminal defense/public defender and spends quite a bit of time in court.