Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders
Scott Erickson John C. Ackerman
Knox County Tazewell County
3093453815 3094772264
SPRINGFIELD, IL; Local Election Officials in Illinois have the responsibility of being defenders of our democracy. We benefit here in Illinois by having local control of our elections, rather than state centralized control as in many parts of the United States. This local control of our elections is done by 108 independent Local Election Officials; overwhelmingly locally elected County Clerks and a few appointed Election Commission Directors.
This gives you the citizens the highest level of oversight of your election’s operations. These activities are not being conducted by some faceless bureaucrat in a secret centralized office far from your home but rather by individuals who live within your jurisdiction, shop at your local supermarket, have children in school with your kids, and located in offices that you can easily visit and inspect.
As a matter of fact, we want you to visit our offices, ask us questions, tell us your concerns, and see for yourself how we safeguard your vote here in the State of Illinois against all threats, foreign and domestic.
Even better, we want you to join our team and manage your local election!
Election Judges are citizens within each jurisdiction that are appointed by the political parties, managed by the Local Election Authority, and work under the authorization of the local Circuit Judge as Officers of that Circuit Court to run elections at their Polling Location. With that responsibility comes unobstructed access to see for yourself the procedures and policies we have in place to safeguard elections here in Illinois. You will be in a position to oversee all decisions surrounding all votes cast in that Polling Location and can take immediate action to call attention to any problems you may encounter.
Don’t have the ability or time to serve as an Election Judge but still have questions and concerns about elections in Illinois? That’s okay, still stop by our office anytime and ask to arrange a tour, ask your Local Election Official directly the questions you have, see for yourself the policies and procedures we have in place to safeguard your election process. All of our offices are required to be Polling Locations open and available to the public from September 26th through Election Day November 5th.
We want the opportunity to talk with you about your questions and concerns!
Since 2016, questions have been raised concerning the security and the results of our elections. A growing mistrust of our election procedures and policies has resulted. This must stop, for a secure nonviolent democracy is only possible when the citizens have faith in the results of fair, free elections. The ability to visit our offices, ask us questions, express your concerns, and see for yourself how the election process works has always been available from us, the local individuals responsible for this activity here in the State of Illinois. If in the past this was not well communicated and you the citizens did not feel we welcomed your inquiries, we want that to change and we want you to know we want to talk with you!
Your Local Election Official here in Illinois does not answer to any State or Federal Government Official. Our actions cannot be dictated to us by any State Legislator, Congressional leader, President, and especially no foreign government. YOUR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL is only accountable to you, the citizens of the local jurisdiction we serve. All votes within your jurisdiction here in Illinois must be cast on paper, which can and is audited following each and every election, and can only be counted by individuals from within your local jurisdiction. No mysterious individuals from the state or federal government, no internet hacker, and no foreign government can change your local vote total within the State of Illinois without the direct illegal assistance of your Local Election Authority.
We take our responsibility to preserve our nation’s freedom serious, and we also take it personal when our trust with the citizens we serve is in question. We want all the citizens we serve to trust in their LOCAL ELECTION AUTHORITY. We understand trust must be earned, and as such we stand ready to work with each and every one of you to prove the safety and security of our election procedures and policies.
Signed on Behalf of All Members of the
Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders
***Courtesy of the Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders***
