One local student is helping Illinois voters be more informed when they flip over the ballot and cast their judicial choices this election.
Naperville student launch KnowYourStateJudges.org
Months of work from Naperville North High School junior Sarah Boettcher has culminated in KnowYourStateJudges.org, a one-stop shop for nonpartisan information about 2024 judicial races around Illinois.
“First I have how the court system works, here are different types of judges, how they can be elected or retained… I have information on (a judge’s) experience, their education, who’s been funding their campaigns, endorsements… and then also what I thought was really important was putting the Illinois State Bar Association ratings on there.”
The 16-year-old started working on the website when the primary ballots for Illinois were announced late last year and then updated the site ahead of the general election.
“It’s kind of been a constant, I’ve been adding to it up until now,” said Boettcher.
Boettcher’s newfound passion for the judicial system
Boettcher first took an interest in politics after participating in a voter registration drive and activism convention through Naperville North. She then discovered the intricacies of Illinois’ judicial system and wanted to share her research with voters through a website.
“(This election year) it’s so important because there’s so many hot topics, but also there’s such a focus on federal versus state decisions and the push toward those state decisions,” said Boettcher. “Those we vote onto the bench in our state government are going to impact us more and more and the decisions we make on a daily basis.”
Two years from now, Boettcher plans to study political science in college. In the meantime, she’ll continue to update the website.
“This isn’t just an election season type of thing, (voters) should still know who their judges are,” Boettcher said.
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