As Lake County and the Lake
County Clerk’s Office have been deeply involved in preparing for what is
expected to be a healthy turnout for the Nov. 8 election, the Courts have interjected
a critical new development that may prohibit in-precinct Election Day
registration.
This week, the U.S. District
Court, Northern District of Illinois, responded to a federal lawsuit that
challenged the Illinois law allowing counties with a population of 100,000 or
more to conduct registration (along with voting) in every precinct polling site
on Election Day. In its decision, the Court ruled that this created a
two-tiered system impacting the fundamental right to vote, favoring those individuals
who happen to live in more densely populated counties. As a result, the
Court granted the requested preliminary injunction, which prohibits in-precinct
Election Day registration in counties with a population in excess of 100,000.
The Illinois Attorney
General’s Office has filed an appeal. At this point, it is impossible to
predict the outcome or the time estimate for a decision. In the meantime,
the Lake County Clerk’s Office assures that voters can register and vote at all
14 Early Voting locations across the county from now through Nov. 7 (the day
before Election Day) at 7 p.m. Hours and dates vary at the 14 different
locations. See
the list.
If the decision is upheld on
appeal and the injunction remains, voters will still be able to register at the
County Clerk’s Office, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan. If the injunction
is removed, voting and registration will resume as originally planned in all
Election Day voting sites on Tuesday, Nov 8.
For ballot information, voter registration and voting options in the upcoming election, please visit the County Clerk's Office Nov. 8 General Election web page.
Lake
County government is investing in various improvement projects across the
county – including road, water/sewer and stormwater projects and facility
expansion projects like the new court tower in Waukegan. To help residents see
and learn about the projects we’re working on, we’ve developed the easy-to-use
Lake County Capital
Improvement Projects web portal.
Visit the new Maps Online, which is now
easier to use, can be used on any device, including cell phones and tablets,
and has more functionality. One of Lake
County’s most frequently visited web applications, Maps Online allows users to
search and customize maps to include administrative boundaries, cities, water
features, parks, landmarks, highways, buildings and more. Check It Out Today!
Provide
Your Feedback:
Our GIS Division welcomes comments on the new Maps Online. To provide your
feedback, send an email to gis@lakecountyil.gov.
When
voters go to the polls in November, they will see a proposed amendment to the
Illinois State Constitution on the ballot. The amendment will ask voters if all
revenues from various transportation-related taxes and fees should only be
spent on transportation projects and expenses. If approved, the amendment calls
for putting transportation revenue in a “lockbox” that can only be used for
transportation purposes. This would include highway construction and repair,
mass transit, enforcing traffic laws, and other transportation expenses such as
paying off debt on transportation projects. While protecting against the
diversion of transportation funds for other purposes, the proposed
constitutional amendment does not provide any new capital funding for
transportation in Illinois. It is estimated that Illinois must spend an
additional $43 billion on transportation infrastructure in the next ten years
to bring highways and bridges into good condition. Learn more.
Lake County senior citizens are invited to attend Senior Law
Day, an educational forum from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Park City Branch
Court. Learn about jury duty and elder law from Lake County judges, and join a
discussion on how to avoid criminal scams with the Lake County State’s
Attorney’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office also will address security in your home,
on your computer or in the courthouse. Learn more
Local and state elected leaders recently joined
Walgreens Regional Vice President Joe Willey to unveil one of three safe
medication disposal kiosks in Lake County. The Walgreens’ Safe Medication
Disposal Program in Lake County is designed to give residents a better method
to dispose unused or expired medications. Watch now |
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Chairman
Aaron Lawlor took the County Update show on the railroad! Metra takes
passengers on about 750 trains per day along three lines across Lake County. In
this episode of County Update, we talk with a representative of the Metra Board of Directors who represents Lake County. Watch now
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Forest Preserve News
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Join
the Colossal Cup
Join the fun as two-player teams compete for prizes Sunday, Oct. 2 at the Countryside Golf Club in Mundelein. Shotgun start is at 10 a.m. The
colossal cup size is double the standard cup, so putts will sink with ease and
your score will drop with it. Learn more.
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Take
the Des Plaines River Trail Challenge
Travel the entire 31.4 miles of the Des Plaines River
Trail (DPRT) by Nov. 30 and be rewarded. The final section of the DPRT was
completed in 2015 and now spans the length of the county.
Help celebrate this amazing gem by using it. Bike it. Boat it. Walk it or run
it. Or, you can make a donation to help the Forest Preserves keep it
clean and safe. Learn more. |
The new Lake County Courthouse will be eight
stories tall and is expected to be completed in spring 2018. This expansion is
designed to help increase efficiency of the justice system and help the county
prepare for population growth. Watch this video to
take a tour, and see the progress being made on the expansion project. |
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Lake Forest hosts inaugural Oktoberfest Join Lake Forest’s inaugural Oktoberfest, featuring live bands, German food, games and more from 1:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at Deerpath Community Park. Details
Join Highland Park's pancake breakfast and open house Bring an appetite for fun and pancakes as the Highland Park
Fire Department hosts its pancake breakfast and open house from 7:30 a.m. to
noon Oct. 9 at Fire Station 33, 1130 Central Ave. Check out demonstrations, a firefighter clothing display, and tour the training smoke house. Learn more
Deerfield's annual proposed budget is available online The Village of Deerfield's
proposed 2017 budget is now on display for review. Committee of the Whole
meetings for the 2017 Fiscal Year budget have been scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 1,
and 6 p.m. Oct. 13. View the Village of Deerfield’s proposed annual budget.
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