Newsletter -February 2026

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Newsletter Highlights

Voting and Candidate Information: VOTE411

Vote by Mail ballots--Make sure you mail in early enough to be counted

Leagues Partner with the Greater Chicago Food Depository for Voter Education

Save the Date: Cook County Annual Meeting May 5

Let us reach for the world that ought to be.

President Barack Obama

2009

Cook County League Annual Meeting Save the Date

Tuesday May 5 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Speaker: Cook County States Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke

Roosevelt Univeristy Ida B. Wells Room

March 17 2026 Primary Election Information

BE INFORMED AND VOTE

Go to Vote411.org

This is your source to learn about the stances of candidates for Cook County Governments Offices. Read their responses to our questions on the important issues.

Thank you Cook County Voter Service Committee for gathering the information on these offices.

Cook County Government

MWRD

Cook County Circuit, Appellate, and Supreme Court

Additional information on Judicial Candidates

www.voteforjudges.org

www.injusticewatch.org

Candidate Forums

February 19 10th Congressional District Democratic Candidates

7 pm Zoom Webinar

Sponsored by the LWV of Lake County, LWV Glenview-Glencoe, LWV Winnetka, LWV Wilmette and Mano a Mano Family Resource Center.

February 21 Senate Democratic Candidates

2nd Congressional District Democratic Candidates

11 am - 3:30 pm In person

Moraine Valley Community College

9000 W College Parkway, Palos Hills, IL 60465

Sponsored by LWVIL, LWF Flossmoor, Chicago Southland Chamber of Congress

No registration required

The League is asking for member to volunteer for the Feb 21 Forum,

please sign up HERE.

Are You Registered to Vote?

Thru Feb 17: via mail-in or by deputy registrar
Thru March 1: online with State Board of Elections at ova.elections.il.gov, must have an Illinois State ID or driver's license
Can also register during Early Voting and on Election Day, will need 2 forms of ID, one with current address

Plan Your Vote

Suburban Cook County Residents

Vote by Mail (and/or be on the Permanent Vote by Mail list) Apply by March 12.

See Suburban Cook Vote by Mail

Early Voting Feb. 18 - March 16 69 W. Washington pedway, Chicago; Bridgeview, Markham, Rolling Meadows, and Skokie County Courthouses; and the Melrose Park Village Hall

March 2- March 16 Expands to other locations

See Suburban Cook Early Voting

Election Day Voting 6am-7 pm

At your home precinct; 69 W. Washington, pedway; Bridgeview, Markham, Rolling Meadows, and Skokie County Courthouses; and the Melrose Park Village Hall

Chicago Residents

Vote by Mail (and/or be on the Permanent Vote by Mail list) Apply by March 12.

See Chicago Vote By Mail

Early Voting Feb 12 - March 16 Chicago Board of Elections office at 69 W. Washington, 6th floor and the new Supersite at 137. S State

March 2. Expands to all 50 wards

See Chicago Early Voting.

Election Day Voting 6am-7 pm

At your home precinct or any early voting site

Post Mark Date Alert

To be counted, vote by mail ballots received after the March 17 Election Day must have a postmark on or before March 17

The Post Office changed the process for affixing postmarks. It will NOT be the day received at the local Post Office. It will be the day it is processed at a regional center. This can be 2 or more days later.

If you are returning the ballot after March 10:

Have the Post Office stamp the date at the window
Use a drop box at an early voting site
Turn the completed ballot in at a voting site on March 17
Turn the uncompleted ballot in at an early voting site or on March 17 and vote in person

Spread the word

Help Make Democracy Work: Be a Poll Worker on Election Day

These are paid positions.

To volunteer for suburban precincts go HERE

To volunteer for Chicago precincts go HERE

News from the Cook County Clerk's Office

Cook County Deputy Clerk for Elections Edmund Michalowski shared these updates with the Cook County Voter Service Committee

Sample ballots for Suburban Cook voters were to be available the week of Feb. 9 on the Clerk’s web site through Your Voter Info Page.
The Clerk’s office is piloting a one-day Voter Registration and Early Voting opportunity for students who will be 18 on or before Nov. 3 and school staff who live in Suburban Cook on February 26 at 24 public and private high schools. Students at the schools who have been trained will serve as the Election Judges, while the County will also provide experienced judges to register new voters and help with trouble-shooting
“Smart” (electronic) Drop Boxes will be available at some voting centers for returning vote-by-mail ballots from March 2 through Election Day. These Smart Drop Boxes, among other things, will take a photo of the bar codes on the envelopes and transmit to the Clerk’s office, allowing for faster notification that a voter’s ballot has been received.

Public Testing of Election Equipment

The public is invited to see for themselves how secure the election equipment is in Chicago and Suburban Cook County by attending the election authority’s public testing. League members have attended this in the past, and are encouraged to attend one of these testings and share what you learn.
Chicago Board of Elections: March 9 at 10 am in the 8th floor conference room at 69 W Washington, Chicago
Cook County Clerk: March 9 at 10 am at the Clerk's Operations Center at 1330 S. 54th Avenue, Cicero

League of Women Voters and Greater Chicago Food Depository launch nonpartisan voter registration and education partnership at food access sites

The League of Women Voters of Chicago and Cook County in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository announced a new nonpartisan voter registration and civic education collaboration that will bring voter education services to Food Depository food access partner locations, including pantry sites and other community locations.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to serving neighbors and strengthening civic participation, grounded in the belief that communities thrive when residents have both the resources to meet basic needs and the opportunity to shape the decisions that affect their lives.

LWV Chicago and LWV Cook County, with the support of the Local Leagues, will recruit and deploy trained deputy registrars and volunteers to provide voter registration and voter education at participating Food Depository partner sites.

See the Press Release Here.

LWVCC Interest Groups keep members informed about important activities of our local government.

Upcoming Meetings

All Local League members are invited to participate in these interest group meetings

Budget & Structure Mon. Feb 16, 10 am via Zoom

Contact info@lwvcookcounty.org

Criminal Justice Tues, March 24, 9 am via Zoom

Contact Jan Goldberg

Forest Preserve Wed., March. 4, 8:30 am via Zoom

Contact Lauramdavis90@gmail.com

Forest Preserve Interest Group

Nature is our Business

Thanks to the support of the Forest Preserve referendum passing, Brookfield Zoo continues its leadership in animal science. Watch behind the scenes at the Brookfield Zoo for the development of a 10 pup litter of wild dogs born there. This is their first checkup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mvICVrlNTw

News from the Forest Preserve Board Meetings

Cook County Forest Preserves now have 7 drones for search and rescue and have already used them successfully to locate a lost person with mental health issues

The Cook County Forest Preserve will invest at a greater level in advertising and promotional services over the next two years. A broad variety of media vendors will be used to promote and showcase the amenities, programs and natural areas of the Forest Preserves. A goal of the Cook County Forest Preserves is to be a national model for conservation.

Save the date for April 22, 7pm Northbrook Library

“Restoring Nature, Restoring Ourselves”

In honor of Earth Day, join us to hear what Forest Preserve Restoration is all about. We’ll showcase different participant groups (Forest Preserve Staff, Friends of the Forest Preserves work crews and Friends of Somme Preserve Community) and discuss the benefits of being in nature. Whether you are a worker or a walker or a neighbor, we all benefit from interacting with nature. Open to all. In person and via Zoom.

Next Meeting Wed., March 4, 2026 8:30 am via Zoom. To participate contact Lauramdavis90@gmail.com

Criminal Justice Interest Group

The Criminal Justice Interest Group had a long meeting with the new Chief Judge Charles Beach. Laura Davis, Anne Budin, and Jan Goldberg found him to be very personable, open to making changes. For example, when we asked him about Electronic Monitoring he said that he was in conversations with Cara Smith, the head of the Office of the State Pretrial Services. He wants them to handle the program. The day after our meeting he gave a press release about how to tighten up procedures for people who violate their EM conditions.

We were invited to join in on the zoom seminars presented by the Illinois Network of Pretrial Justice, with whom we partner.

Laura Davis visited the Juvenile Detention Center. She continues to monitor problems in the Juvenile Justice system.

Our next book discussion is on Feb 26th at 9AM via zoom. Our book will be "The Tragedy of True Crime" by John J. Lennon.

Our next regular meeting will be Tuesday, March 24, 9 am via zoom.
To participate in these meetings, please contact Jan Goldberg

LWVCC Observer Corp

LWVCC members observe and report on board and committee meetings of Cook County government entities to keep you informed.

To read more: LWVCC Observer Reports

Illinois Deserves Fair Maps

The League of Women Voters of Illinois is endorsing the latest effort by Fair Maps Illinois to amend the state Constitution and move Illinois a step closer to having legislative districts that reflect our voting population.

Join the Petition Drive--Go to LWVIL Fair Maps Illinois for petitions and details. Petitions are due in April.

League Upcoming Events

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, 12:00 pm Via Zoom

LWVIL Lunch & Learn

Repairing our Civic Rift: Person, Family, Community

Speaker: Harry Nathan Gottlieb, Founder of Unify America

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:00 pm In person and on Zoom

LWV of the Palatine, Barrington, and Schaumburg Areas

A Look at the Board of Elections

Speaker: Edmund Michalowski, Deputy Clerk of Elections, Cook County

Schaumburg Central Library,

130 S. Roselle Road

Schaumburg, IL 60193

Registration is required. Register HERE

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, 1:00 pm In person

LWV Glenview-Glencoe

Meeting of the Minds, small group discussions on current topics important to Leaguers

Resisting Tyranny, a discussion of "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder

Bean Bar, 1901 Cherry Lane, Northbrook

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, 7:00 m In person

LWV LaGrange Area and LaGrange Public Library

Book Discussion of "Abundance" a blueprint for reforming government so it can deliver for working people. Authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson.

Led by Laurie Braun and Marian Honel-Wilson

LaGrange Public Library

10 W. Cossitt Ave.

LaGrange, IL

Free and open to the public

Thursday, Feb. March 12, 2026, 7:00 m In person

LWV LaGrange Area and LaGrange Public Library

Artificial Turf-Is It Safe?

Speakers: Green Team from PSEG Sustainability Institute Montclair State University (Remote)

LaGrange Public Library

10 W. Cossitt Ave.

LaGrange, IL

Free and open to the public, Registration requested HERE

Saturday, March. 14, 2026, 10:00 am In person and Zoom

LWV Palos Orland Area

Energy & Utility Rate Hikes and How to Make Your Voice Heard

Speaker: Abe Scarr, Director for Energy at the Public Interest Reseach Group

Palos Heights Public Library

12501 S. 71st St.

Palos Heights, IL

Free and open the public

To join by Zoom, email to palosorlandlwv@gmail.com

Tuesday, March. 24, 7:00 pm In person and on Zoom

LWV of the Palatine, Barrington, and Schaumburg Areas

Restorative Justice

Speakers: Tauya Forst, J.D., M.S., and Richard Forst, J.D., Professors of Criminal and Justice Studies at the College of DuPage.

Schaumburg Central Library,

130 S. Roselle Road

Schaumburg, IL 60193

Registration is required. Register HERE

Thursday, April 23, 2026, 6:00 pm In person

LWV Evanston

Community Dinner: Who Owns the Truth? Journalism in the Age of Distrust

Speaker: Panel Discussion Natalie Moore and Chicago Area Journalists

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave

Evanston, IL

Tickets: $250 Register at LWVE.org

2025-2026 Cook County League Board Members

OFFICERS: President: Diane Edmundson, Chicago; Vice-President, Kathi Graffam, LaGrange Area; Vice-President, Susan Gregory, Glenview-Glencoe; Secretary: Carolyn Cosentino, Homewood/Flossmoor; Treasurer: Trudy Turner, Evanston.

Board members: Victoria Cerinich, Palos-Orland Park Area; Laura Davis, Palatine, Barrington & Schaumburg Areas; Jan Goldberg, LaGrange Area ; Betty Hayford, Evanston; Pris Mims, Chicago; Sandra Slayton, Homewood-Flossmoor

____________________________

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, political organization whose mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government; to increase understanding of major policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to anyone regardless of gender, race, or ethnic group.

_________________________

League of Women Voters of Cook County

332 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 634, Chicago, IL 60604

312-939-5935

lwvcookcounty.org