If you don’t read any other articles in our fabulous series on the Nov. 4 ballot, read this one. Because we’re going to share the information you’ve been eagerly anticipating: “how to find your personalized sample ballot.”

To be frank, I think the sample ballot on the Kane County Clerk’s website is one of the most useful (and underused) tools around for folks who want to find out what’s up in the Nov. 4 General Election.

To get started, first go to www.KaneVotes.org, which is the same page as www.kanecountyelections.com. Then scroll down until you see “Find …” in big print. It looks like this:

Then, as you can see, you type in your last name, your house number and/or the name of the street you live on.

When you hit return, a page will pop up that shows the registered voters in your abode. Click on your name, and what pops up next is a helpful page with all kinds of good information, including your polling place, as well as the names (and in some cases contact numbers) of the folks who represent you, from the president of the United States to your precinct committeeperson.

Here’s what the top of that page looks like for “active” voter Richard Nagel:

Now, here’s where I want you to pay attention: See the bluish line with white text near the bottom of this screenshot where it says “Sample Ballot”? Below that, obviously, are the words “Sample Ballot for the General Election” and below that “Sample Ballot (clickable)” in blue type. Click on that “Sample Ballot (clickable).”

And voila! There’s your sample ballot. The top part of mine looks like this:

Is that cool, or what?

If you’re like me (and I’m not accusing you of that), you’re busy, busy, busy — all the time. And when Election Day rolls around, sometimes you say to yourself, “Holy crud, I’m about to go vote and I have no idea what’s on the ballot.”

And if you’re like me (sorry, again), there are few worse feelings than having to vote on a referendum whose language you don’t understand or trying to choose a candidate from a list of names you don’t recognize.

Don’t let that happen to you. Find out what’s on the ballot beforehand, because it’s easy. Your personalized sample ballot is just a few clicks away.

A final proviso: As we’ve said throughout this series, who you vote for and whether you decide to vote is entirely up to you. You’re an American, gosh darn it, and you are free to do as you choose. We’re just trying to point out ways to make voting a little easier, a little less stressful and maybe a little more fun.

Up Next:

You Can’t Vote Often, But You Can Vote Early

Election 2014 Series So Far

• Election 2014: Series of Articles on the Nov. 4 Ballot Begins Today
• Election 2014: What’s Interesting About the Nov. 4 Ballot?

2014 General Election Info

• Candidates List
  Referenda
  Sample Ballots