Follow the money
Illinois Sunshine is a website that lists campaign contributions and expenses for local and state-level candidates in Illinois, using legally-required disclosure forms filed regularly by candidates and campaigns.
Who Funds Congress?
All donations to any Congressional campaigns must be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission by law. The FEC database allows users to search all contribution records by donor, recipient, and election cycle.
Judge the Judgemen
The most thorough research on every single judicial race in Cook County is done by Injustice Watch, a nonpartisan 501c3 nonprofit journalism organization that examines issues of equity and justice in the court system. If there’s tea about a judge, Injustice Watch is our go-to to find out.
Fuckery Abounds
One of the most common election maneuvers in Chicago is the petition challenge. The Chicago Board of Elections tracks petition challenges, keeps an updated ballot, and shows you who’s in and who’s out.
Devil in the Details
If you live in suburban Cook County, odds are that you’ve got some very specific questions on your ballot every other November. The Cook County Clerk tracks and lists all current and past ballot measures, so you can see what’s up.