Who do I vote for? Decatur & Macon County, Illinois
Who's running? What policies do you support? What are your values? What policies do the candidates support? Who do you trust to ask for advice? Do you vote on party lines?
You may be politically engaged and already know about the candidates and know who you want to elect. You may vote all Republican, all Democrat, or may prefer third-party candidates where available. You may be new to politics. You may be apathetic. You may be overwhelmed and not have time or energy to research candidates yourself.
The longer you pay attention to politics, the more you'll understand. This can include reading news stories, watching TV reports, attending public meetings, following government social media pages, and more. You're probably not going to be very well-informed the first time you vote. Just try your best and vote anyway.
Who is running?
First, find out which districts you vote for. This depends upon your address.
Recommended:
- View the Sample Ballot (view as pdf)
- See the candidates on DecaturVote.com
Additionally:
- View State election information on ballotpedia.org
- View (limited) county election information on ballotpedia.org
- View the Ballot Measure which would guarantee workers the right to collective bargaining.
Get Help from people you trust
- Ask your friends who are politically engaged who they're voting for & why
- Group together with a few friends and split up candidate research. Each of you pick one or two offices to research. Take notes. And then get together to discuss.
How to research candidates
Don't try to do everything. Schedule an hour to do some research. If you're not satisfied after that hour, then schedule another hour a few days later. Take notes.
Recommended: Read their profile on DecaturVote.com
Other Options:
- Search for news articles about candidates, on your favorite search engine, and on news websites. For local candidates Herald & Review is probably best. Try Herald & Review, WAND, and Decatur Tribune
- Search for candidate interviews
- Look at their social media feeds
- Attend candidate events, such as fundraisers
- Call or email them and ask their policy positions.
- Look at ads sent in the mail, or look at their websites
- Research the County Political Parties: Republicans Facebook, Democrats Facebook, Democrats Website
- Research the state/national political parties: Illinois Democrats, Illinois Republicans, Illinois Libertarians, Illinois Green party, Democratic Socialists of America
- Review meeting minutes or voting records for any candidates already serving in an office. For example, you can get County Board Meeting Minutes from the county website.
County Board Room
