viral social media video alleging that voting equipment in suburban Cook County warns voters against selecting Republican judicial candidates has drawn a sharp rebuke from Illinois election officials, who say the claim is false.
Voter Mary Bauer posted on social media that she encountered a notification while early voting in Streamwood, a suburb in Cook County, after selecting Republican judicial candidates on her ballot for the 2026 election cycle.
“For reference, I live in Illinois, and I’m actually in the county where Chicago is,” she said in the video. “It’s called Cook County, but I’m in the suburbs in Streamwood.”