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Friends,

If you don't live in Illinois, I've sent this to you by mistake--look for my regular newsletter bright and early Sunday morning. If you do live in Illinois, I hope you'll keep my endorsements and recommendations in mind when you vote.

Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They will easily carry Illinois. Your vote is important because the larger Biden's popular vote margin, the harder it will be for Trump to challenge the legitimacy of his defeat.

Vote for every Democrat on your ballot. Some Democrats are in tight races. Why every Democrat? Because if we've learned anything from the blind obedience of the GOP to its leader, Donald Trump--the most openly corrupt, incompetent, racist, anti-Semitic, vulgar president in US history--it's that party labels matter. What kind of person, in 2020, would label themselves as a Republican?

In theory, somewhere in Illinois, there could be a Republican who is better-qualified than their Democratic opponent. In theory. In theory, there could be nine dimensions and multiple universes. I haven't seen those either.

But I do know that Lake Country Republicans recently held a "without masks" fundraiser. I used to pride myself on finding one or two Republicans to vote for in each election. Not this time.

Vote YES on the Fair Tax amendment. This might be close. 97% of Illinois residents will pay the same or less if this passes, but the wealthiest will finally pay their fair share. If it doesn't pass, we all might wind up paying higher taxes.

This amendment will bring our tax system up-to-date with the one used by a majority of states and the federal government. It will lift the burden off of lower and middle-income Illinoisans by asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share. It will give a tax cut to all small business owners making less than $250,000 a year in profit. It will generate additional revenue to fund our schools and lower the property tax burden. It will address Illinois’ structural budget deficit and put the state on the path toward fiscal sustainability. And it will make sure essential workers aren’t forced to pay the same tax rate as millionaires and billionaires. It's only fair, but it needs our YES votes to pass.

If you live in Lake County, vote YES to eliminate the recorder's office and merge it into county clerk's office.

If you live in Lake County, vote NO on retaining these four judges: Ann B. Jorgensen, James K. Booras, Mary S. Schostok, and Valerie Boettle Ceckowski. They are all Republicans, and if they receive less than 60%, it will set up an election (rather than an up/down vote) next time.

Make a plan to vote. You can't do any of this if you don't vote. Do whatever is most comfortable and safe for you. In Illinois, your ballot will be counted no matter how you vote, but it is better to vote early if you can. If you want to vote in person, vote early. If you want to vote by mail, request a ballot if you haven't already done so and mail it back as soon as you can. Better yet, drop it off at a drop box location. But whatever you do, be sure to vote. Here is what you need to know about voting in Illinois.

Illinois residents can register to vote online until Sunday, October 18 at 11:59 PM. Grace period registration will be available at any Lake County Early Voting Site and on Election Day. Early Voting will begin on Monday, October 19 at many sites throughout Lake County, including at the Highland Park Country Club. For more information, visit LakeVoterPower.info.

Early voting hours are 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM Monday - Friday, and 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday & Sunday. Early Voting ends Sunday, November 1, 2020. The Highland Park Country Club is one of many sites throughout the Lake County that will host a postage-free drop box for Ballots by Mail. This drop box will be available once Early Voting begins. Until then, there are four drop boxes currently accepting Ballots by Mail. Click here for the full list. For questions, please call the Lake County Clerk's Office at 847-377-VOTE (8683).

Click here for voting info if you live elsewhere in Illinois.

Phone and text voters in key states. Any candidate you support will get you set up to do this. If you want to help but you don't know who to help, phone or text bank with Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), the voice of Jewish Democrats. They are targeting key voters in key states and will make sure that your efforts make the biggest difference.

Please forward this to everyone you know in Illinois.

Thanks,

Steve

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The Fine Print: This newsletter usually runs on Sunday mornings. Unless stated otherwise, my views do not necessarily reflect the views of any candidates or organizations that I support or am associated with. I reserve the right to change my mind as I learn more. Intelligent, well-informed people may disagree with me; read opposing views and decide for yourself. A link to an article doesn't mean that I agree with everything its author has ever said or that I even agree with everything in the article; it means that the article supports or elaborates on the point I was making. I take pride in accurately reporting the facts on which I base my opinions. Tell me if you spot any inaccuracies, typos, or other mistakes so that I can correct them in the next newsletter (and give you credit if you want it). Advertisements reflect the views of the advertisers, not necessarily of me, and advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. I read, value, and encourage replies to my newsletters, but I don't always have time to acknowledge replies or to engage in one-on-one discussion. Don't expect a reply if your message is uncivil or if it's clear from your message that you haven't read the newsletter or clicked on the relevant links. © 2020 Steve Sheffey. All rights reserved.