While Illinois’ elections focus primarily on the presidency and state and federal representation, dozens of judges will also be on the ballot.
In Illinois, voters are responsible for choosing judges at three different levels: the Supreme Court, appeals courts, and circuit courts.
In some areas, multiple judges may be on the ballot in several different races, and it can be difficult to analyze the information to make an informed decision in the voting booth.
Fortunately, there are a variety of resources voters can use to get information ahead of the November election, and NBC Chicago has also compiled information about which precincts will appear on your ballot and what each of your votes means.
How do I search for judges on my ballot?
Many groups have endeavored to provide information about the judges, including insight into their legal philosophies, their rulings, and even offered recommendations on whether to support their accession to the bench or retain them on the bench .
One such resource is Injustice Watch, which offers an interactive guide for the 75 circuit court judges and two appellate court judges running for re-election in Cook County.
The guide features bar rankings and icons indicating potential controversies involving judges listed on the ballot, and comes with a printable sheet to take to the voting booth (and yes, you can bring a piece of paper to help you remember which candidates you intend to vote for).
For those seeking additional information or who do not live in Cook County, the Illinois State Bar Association offers recommendations on elections and judicial appointments throughout the state of Illinois.
The Bar Association cites two different investigations in its recommendations. Evaluation scores involve in-depth reviews of applicants and represent the opinions of the State Bar Association, while judicial advisory surveys are based on attorney comments that do not necessarily reflect the group’s opinions on a candidate.
The association then ranks judges as not recommended, recommended or highly recommended.
Cook County residents can also consult the Chicago Bar Association’s voter guide, which classifies candidates as highly qualified, qualified or not recommended.
Which judges will be on the ballot in Illinois?
Judicial elections in Illinois are divided into three tiers: the Supreme Court, the court of appeals, and the circuit courts. We’ll have more on this outage later in this story.
Supreme Court
There are two seats on the Illinois Supreme Court that will be decided by voters, but both candidates are running unopposed as they seek a full 10-year term on the Court. Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham, who replaced Chief Justice Anne Burke on the bench, is running for 1st district, which governs Cook County.
Judge Lisa Holder White, who won an election to fill Judge Rita B. Garman’s seat on the bench, is running unopposed in the 4th district.
Court of Appeal
According to Injustice Watch, appeals court judges typically hear appeals of cases decided by circuit courts. These judges serve 10-year terms and must win elections for those terms.
There are also several elections to fill vacancies in the 4th appeal district. There are three competitive races in the 3rd district, with judges aiming to fill vacancies left by the death of Judge Daniel Schmidt, the elevation of Judge Mary Kay O’Brien to the Illinois Supreme Court, and the retirement and death of Judge Tom Lytton.
There are also four vacancies in the 1st appeal district, but all four candidates are running unopposed.
circuit court
Finally, there are a multitude of vacancies and retention votes at the circuit and subcircuit level of the courts.
Circuit court judges serve six-year terms and are considered the “front line of the legal system,” according to Injustice Watch.
Retention Vote vs Full Term Vote
Justices must win a contested election in order to serve a full term on the court for which they are running. For Supreme Court and appeals court judges, that’s a 10-year term, and for a circuit court judge, a six-year term is up for grabs.
Following this process, judges present themselves for retention upon expiration of their terms. Under Illinois law, a judge needs 60 percent affirmative votes in this retention vote to retain his or her seat. If they do not meet the 60% threshold, the state Supreme Court appoints a temporary replacement, who then seeks a full 10-year term in the next even-year election cycle.
How do I know which neighborhood I live in?
Under a revised map approved in 2022, Illinois is still divided into five judicial districts at the Supreme Court and appeals court levels.
The first district includes Cook County. The Second District includes McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties. The Third District includes the rest of the Chicago suburbs, including DuPage, LaSalle, Grundy, Will, Kankakee and Iroquois counties.
The Fourth District is largely comprised of counties in western and northwestern Illinois, including Ogle and Sangamon Counties, while the Fifth District consists primarily of eastern and northwestern counties. southern Illinois.
A full map can be found here.
The state is also divided into a total of 25 circuits, presided over by circuit court judges. These circuits are then broken down into sub-circuits. A circuit map is available on the Illinois Judicial System website.
