Voter's Guide: Research the Candidates
& Issues

Races and Candidates

These races appear on all ballots in Lake County, Illinois. Additional races for Congressional District, State Representative, and other local offices may appear on your ballot. Refer to your sample ballot for a full accounting.

PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

• Donald J. Trump / Michael R. Pence (Republican) 
• Joseph R. Biden / Kamala D. Harris (Democratic)
• Howie Hawkins / Angela Walker (Green)
• Gloria La Riva / Leonard Peltier (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
• Brian Carroll / Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party)
• Jo Jorgensen / Jeremy "Spike" Cohen (Libertarian)

DEBATES

• Tue Sept 29, 8 PM CDT [replay]
• Wed Oct 7, 8 PM CDT (VP candidates) [replay]
• Thu Oct 22, 8 PM CDT [replay]

UNITED STATES SENATOR

• Mark C. Curran Jr. (Republican)
• Richard J. Durbin (Democratic)
• Willie L. Wilson (Willie Wilson Party)
• David F. Black (Green)
• Danny Malouf (Libertarian)

DEBATES

• Dick Durbin (D) and Mark Curran Jr. (R)

LAKE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT CLERK

• Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez (R) candidate profile
• Erin Cartwright Weinstein (D) candidate profile

LAKE COUNTY CORONER

• Howard Cooper (R) candidate profile
• Jennifer Banek (D) candidate profile

LAKE COUNTY RECORDER

• Emilia Czyszczon (R) candidate profile
• Mary Ellen Vanderventer (D) candidate profile

LAKE COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY

• Michael G. "Mike" Nerheim (R) candidate profile
• Eric Rinehart (D) candidate profile

Judicial retention

Illinois Bar Association Candidate Evaluations: An advisory poll of licensed attorneys recommending candidates for judicial office.

Ballot Issues

These referenda appear on all ballots in Lake County, Illinois. Additional questions may appear on your ballot. Refer to your sample ballot for a full accounting.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE 1970 ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION 

• Illinois Fair Tax, Wikipedia
• Illinois Allow for Graduated Income Tax Amendment (2020), Ballotpedia

Elimination Of Recorder's Office

Shall the office of the Recorder of Lake County be eliminated on December 1, 2022, by merging that office's duties and responsibilities into the office of the County Clerk of Lake County?

• Should Lake County eliminate the recorder's office? Voters could decide Daily Herald, June 9, 2020
• Lake County recorder candidates running for office they hope is eliminated, Lake County News-Sun, October 3, 2020

Helpful Resources

Ballotpedia: A nonprofit, nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that is simple and clear. Use it to check candidate background, voting record, and election results.

18by.vote: Every two years, seven million Americans turn 18 and become eligible to vote; this site prepares soon-to-be and first-time voters to exercise their democratic right and civic duty.

Project Vote Smart: A nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that collects and distributes verified info about candidates for public office.

Vote411.org: Nonpartisan information about candidates' positions on issues; includes telephone numbers for assistance in Spanish, Arabic, and multiple Asian languages. Run by the League of Women voters.

Fact Check

Center for Public Integrity: One of the oldest and largest nonprofit news organizations in the country. The Pulitzer Prize–winning newsroom is made up of reporters, editors, and data journalists who dig deep to deliver national and international investigative journalism of lasting significance.

FactCheck.org: Designed to help voters by “monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.” A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

PolitiFact: A fact-checking website founded by editors of Time Magazine in conjunction with Congressional Quarterly.

Campaign Finance Info

Federal Election Commission: Official U.S. government website tracking campaign finance and donations.

Illinois Sunshine: User-friendly online tool from the nonpartisan Illinois State Board of Elections.

U.S. Political Parties and Platforms

Listed alphabetically

American Solidarity Party

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.

Democratic Party

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.

Green Party

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.

Libertarian Party

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.

Party for Socialism and Liberation

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.

Republican Party

Platform | National | Illinois | Lake Co.