Will You Be Prepared for Voting in the 2026 Elections?

Do you call a friend before you vote and ask whom to vote for? I used to do that because I was so uninformed. That has now changed.

As an election judge (11 years now) and a concerned Peoria County resident for 40+ years, I want to encourage EVERYONE to not just vote but to really KNOW whom and what you’re voting for and why.

How do you know the candidates and the issues? You can take a few hours in each voting cycle (By the way, EVERY day is included in a “voting cycle.”) to visit the many local opportunities to add faces and qualities to the names and issues on your ballot: PCRW, 2nd Ward, and Peoria Patriots.

PCRW (Peoria County Republican Women) luncheons are held monthly on the 2^nd Wednesday at Barrack’s Cater Inn in Peoria, 11:30am-1pm. (There are no luncheons in July or December.) The luncheons are designed to bring valuable information to Peoria Country Republican women; men are also encouraged to attend! Each lunch features a designated speaker, bringing details about current events in the city and state. During the election cycle, they provide opportunities to hear from and meet local and state candidates. They also support initiatives from all other Republican committees in our county, as well as the IFRW (Illinois Federation of Republican Women). The current PCRW president is Anita Meeker. For more information, please contact her at 309-253-2098 or [email protected]. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 14

2nd Ward Republican Men’s Breakfast meets bimonthly on the first Saturday of even-numbered months (i.e., February, April, June, etc.) at 8:30am at Barrack’s Cater Inn. Gary Stella heads this group which includes both men and women. 2nd Ward (a leftover from the early days when Peoria had wards instead of council districts) provides an opportunity for Republican office holders and candidates to share timely information on what’s going on in local, state, and federal politics. Come to hear questions asked and answered, questions and answers that aren’t present in the local media because various local establishments don’t want them asked or answered. There are no press in the room to ensure it’s profitable for you to attend. For more information, please contact Gary at 309-253-7955 or [email protected]. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7.

Peoria Patriots meet monthly, generally on the 4^th Thursday at 4:30-7:15pm at (you guessed it) Barrack’s Cater Inn. After dinner, Mark Lang shares TONS of current information affecting our Republican standards. Mark does the research; we gain the jaw-dropping knowledge. We share information about local, national, and international events/topics, much briefly or not covered by mainstream media. For more information, please contact Mark at 309-472-0043 or [email protected]. The next meeting will be Thursday, May 29.

So many of us live full lives, but adding political knowledge to our day-to-day intake helps us be the change that our community needs. Few people have time to attend all the above events, but if you add at least one event occasionally to your schedule, your concerns get a direction that brings clarity to your choices. And you meet some really amazing people (and they get to meet the amazing you).

Take a chance. Make a choice. See you at the next meeting.

The contents and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the Peoria County GOP.