Vote — but become informed first

I volunteered to be an election judge, and went to “election school” last week. I spoke to the lady next to me at class, and she said she was going to vote a straight ticket. I said that one party could not have all the “good candidates.”

I see all the top “leaders” of our republic coming to town and telling us who we should vote for. Let's go back and look at a 2008 statement by Sen. Richard Durbin, and then-Sen. Barack Obama. “Todd is a good progressive Democrat who will bring those values and sensibilities to the job. . . . On Tuesday, Todd Stroger is the only choice. You can make the difference. You can raise your voice. You can choose Todd Stroger and let him lead us to a new era of Cook County government.”

Other people who endorsed Mr. Stroger are: Richard Daley, Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky, Pat Quinn, Lisa Madigan, Dan Hynes, Jesse White and Rahm Emanuel.

I am amazed when I often ask people the names of their representatives and they do not know. Yet they vote. If you are politically ignorant, perhaps you should not vote this time. You see where listening to our previous elected officials got you. If you are not doing your homework, perhaps you should not be voting at all.

George Johnson

Park Ridge