Check Out Your Personalized Sample Ballot for March 15 Primary!
The March 15 Illinois primary election is coming up fast, and there are more candidates than you can shake a stick at. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a place you could look to see what YOUR personal ballot will look like?
Well, there is.
For folks who live in Kane County but outside the Aurora Election Commission, the Kane County Clerk’s web page (kanecountyelections.org) offers a valuable and sometimes-under-used service: a personalized sample ballot.
Here’s how it works.
STEP 1: Go to kanecountyelections.org
When you click on the kanecountyelections.org link in this sentence, it takes you to a page that looks like this:
STEP 2: Scroll Down to Where It Says, “Sample Ballot”
Click on those beautiful red letters.Obviously, this is also a good opportunity to check out the Kane County Clerk’s awesome Voter Publication Guide or click on “Referendum” and take a look at referendums on the ballot throughout Kane County. (Keep in mind that link will show you referendums that might not be on the ballot in your precinct.
STEP 3: Fill in Your Last Name, House Number and Street Name
As it says in the instructions, only your house number or street name is required.Then click “Submit.”The page will look something like the following:
STEP 4: Click on Your Name
The page will then show your voter information.Mine looks like the following:
STEP 5: Peruse Your Sample Ballot
Click on “Republican Ballot” or “Democratic Ballot.”You can look at either or both online, but you only can vote in one or the other Illinois primary contest.Please make sure to scroll down, because there are two pages for each party’s sample ballot.
Democratic Ballot
Republican Ballot
STEP 6: Pay Attention 
Look to see if you are voting on any referendums. There are five on the March 15, 2016, ballot in various parts of Kane County. As mentioned above, there might not be any in your precinct.
Note how many people are running in each race and how many candidates you can vote for. For example, there are seven candidates vying for the Republican nomination for president, but you can just vote for one. Note that it says, “Vote for (ONE)” and in Spanish “Votar por (Uno).”
In Illinois, you also can vote for delegates to the national nominating convention. You’ll see the names of the candidates they represent next to the names of the delegates.
STEP 7: Do Your Homework
After you’ve looked at the ballot, you might know exactly who you’re voting for and why. (Or in the case of a referendum, what you’re voting for and why.)
If you don’t know for sure and need some more information, there are plenty of places to look. Candidates forums, many of which are sponsored by the League of Women Voters, give you a chance to meet and listen to the candidates in person. You can also read news-media articles and websites, many of which contain candidate questionnaires and profiles.
And of course, the Kane County Clerk’s web page (kanecountyelections.org) is a great way to get started.
