On March 19, the 2024 Illinois primary election will officially be open for voting. Polls across the state will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m, giving voters the opportunity to vote in several key races both locally and nationally. Voters can cast their ballots via mail or through in person polling locations. 

On the ballot, Illinois voters will also choose their preferred presidential delegate, who will formally cast votes on behalf of their candidate later this year. Outside of the presidency, all 118 members of the Illinois House of Representatives will be up for re-election as well as 20 state senators. Additionally, in Lake County, voters are casting their ballots for state’s attorney, county commissioners, and circuit court judges.

Eric Rinehart is the current state attorney for Lake County and among the many candidates running for re-election in the upcoming primary. To prepare for the election, Rinehart has been active in community events like the Campaign Fair hosted by the Political Action Club (PAC) at Stevenson High School, where he has been a strong advocate for issues such as community safety.

“We know how to incarcerate people. This is how we deal with the crime itself — after the fact — and we are succeeding.” Rinehart said. “But we also want to prevent the crime in the first place with the unique information and vast resources that a prosecutor’s office can leverage. We want to address the trauma that causes more crime.” 

Similar to Rinehart, Republican state’s attorney candidate Mary Cole also shares similar policy views. Throughout her campaign, she has stressed the importance of curbing gang violence as well as protecting the community from crime. 

“A major part of my platform is prioritizing school safety,” Cole said. “Our campaign has developed a committee of young people to inform us of their concerns regarding safety and other aspects of the community.” 

While both Rinehart and Cole’s campaign center around reducing violence in the community, congressional candidate Jim Carris feels that any participation in our government is key. He believes that for community members, the most important action they can do on election day is to vote. 

“I think there’s nothing more important than participating in our government,” Carris said. “There’s too much arguing in politics by members of both parties. Rather, we should come together and work problems out to find solutions. And we can do that, whether it’s individuals participating from my generation or younger generations – like millennials and Gen Z.”

For many seniors at Stevenson, this year’s primaries serve as the first election they can vote in. Noah Schechter 24’, member of Stevenson’s PAC, has prepared for this year’s election by educating himself on who’s running for each office. Like Carris, he stresses that voting in elections is an integral part of maintaining a democracy, no matter what political party is in power. 

“No matter who you support or what you think about politics you should always vote,” Schechter said. “At the end of the day, if you make your voice heard, people will have to listen.”