We are a little over three weeks away from the Feb. 2 primary election. If you feel you are fully informed when it comes to knowing the candidates, early voting starts at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the DeKalb County Legislative Center, 200 N. Main St., in Sycamore.
If you are not yet an informed voter, there is plenty of time remaining and plenty of options available to you to learn about the candidates – especially those in countywide races – and referendums on this ballot.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the county's Democrats will host a forum at the Hopkins Park Terrace Room, 1403 Sycamore Road, in DeKalb.
Democratic candidates running in the primary and November's general election will be in attendance. The night also will include a panel discussion between the three Democrats running for state's attorney: current State's Attorney John Farrell, Sarah Gallagher Chami and Karen Wilkerson. The discussion will be moderated by yours truly.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, and also at the Hopkins Park Terrace Room, there will be an informational meeting on the Hopkins Park Aquatic Center replacement plans. Those living in the DeKalb Park District taxing district will be asked whether they support a $15 million bond to build a new pool and aquatic center.
At 5 p.m. Jan. 23, the Nu Kappa Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is hosting a candidate forum at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1201 Twombly Road, in DeKalb. The event will include candidates from the Democratic, Green and Republican parties. Voters will have the chance to meet the candidates and submit questions to be asked later in the evening.
Lastly, although none of its candidates are involved in the primary locally, the Libertarian Party of Illinois will host a candidates forum at 1 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Northern Illinois University Holmes Student Center.
Libertarian candidates for U.S. Senator, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and comptroller will be in attendance. The candidates will give a brief presentation before taking questions.
The Daily Chronicle and Daily-Chronicle.com also are good places to learn about the candidates.
Our ongoing coverage in print started last weekend and will continue up to the primary. If you miss any of those stories, you can find them online, along with our candidate questionnaires.
Currently, we have questionnaires posted in the county clerk, county sheriff and state's attorney races. Early next week, we'll have questionnaires online in the 69th District state representative race, the 14th Congressional District race, the U.S. Senate race and the Illinois governor race.
All that can be found at www.Daily-Chronicle.com/election2010/primary. If you don't want to type all that in, just go to the homepage and look for the Vote '10 box on the right.
Do yourself and democracy a favor and get informed about those running for office. We've seen what happens in this state when the wrong people are elected.
• Jason Schaumburg is editor of the Daily Chronicle. E-mail him at jschaumburg@daily-chronicle.com. You also can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DC_Editor.
