Breaking Down the Ballot: How to research judicial races

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - With the General Election less than one week away, voters are preparing to head to the polls to vote for their preferred candidates.

Dr. Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of Political Science with the University of Illinois Springfield, said it's important for voters to know and understand each candidate before marking the ballot.

The Illinois General Election features key and high-profile races like Governor, Congress, and State Senate. However, some ballots in central Illinois will also feature judicial races for Circuit, Appellate, and Supreme Court Judges.

>> How to verify polling place information.

"It's probably one of the most difficult tasks as a citizen to become knowledgeable about making a vote on judicial elections," he shared.

Judicial races aren't usually featured in television ads or large campaign signs. Dr. Redfield said political parties usually focus on legislative races.

"Trial court judges are supposed to represent the law and generally that is the case."

The Illinois Judges Association issued a Declaration of Judicial Independence, aimed at keeping politics out of America's court system ahead of the Nov. 8 General Election.

>> Illinois Governor's race gaining national attention.

"We are a unique branch of government where it really doesn't matter what political party you belong to. We need to be impartial and rule on the law," said IJA President and Illinois Appellate Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke.

The IJA, which represents 1,250 sitting and retired judges in Illinois, warns that judges have increasingly become the focus of politically driven attacks, which threaten to underscore the importance of judicial independence. Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke said the goal is to educate voters.

"Someone asking what political party a judge is from is like asking what political party a surgeon is from. It's completely irrelevant to their job."

The IJA encourages voters to learn more about judges, including the qualifications of judicial candidates and judges seeking retention, who will appear on the ballot by viewing the Illinois State Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluations and Ratings.

>> What's pushing people to the polls this year?

"The judiciary is one aspect of the government that hopefully, people will never have to deal with, but if you do have to deal with them, you want someone who is not adhering to a political party's views. You want someone who is really looking at the law, the facts, and listening to every single case and making their decision based on that," said Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke.

In addition to the ISBA website, Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke said sometimes counties will have a bar association where people can do more research on candidates.