Illustration by Injustice Watch

For many folks, judicial races tend to be the section of the ballot that is skipped on election day. The number of judges on the ballot can be overwhelming and, most times, the names on the ballot are unfamiliar. So some voters don’t even bother wasting their time on this part of the ballot.

For years, Injustice Watch has been putting in hours of in-depth research to expose institutional failures within the justice system. One of the ways the nonprofit journalism organization does this is through a voter guide it compiles every election cycle.

On Sunday, Injustice Watch released its voter guide to the 2020 Cook County judicial elections. The goal is to prepare voters for the 37 judicial vacancies on the Cook County ballot in advance of the Illinois primary election on March 17. That way, residents can make educated, and empowered choices at the polls this year instead of skipping over the judges section. 

“Judges have the power to make decisions about guilt and innocence, to take away someone’s freedom, to interpret or overturn state laws, and to correct or perpetuate injustices,” the Injustice Watch team wrote in the introduction of their 2020 judicial voter guide. “Yet there are few places to get information about the people running for judge. That’s why we’ve created this election guide.”

The primary election is the time where party members, such as the Democratic and Republican parties, for example, elect candidates for the upcoming general election, which falls on Nov. 3 this year. 

According to Injustice Watch, the Cook County judicial races will include a Supreme Court seat and two Appellate Court seats. 

To read up on the 2020 Cook County judicial races that affect your community, take a look at Injustice Watch’s judicial election guide by clicking here.