Letter: Marty McLaughlin’s comments should be noted

To the Editor:

I read your article about reactions to Wednesday’s attempted coup of our government. I was particularly taken aback by the quoted remarks by state Representative Marty McLaughlin.

His first statement that protesters want “answers and verification,” no they don’t. They want the lies and conspiracies to continue. If they don’t have the conspiracies to justify their sick little existence then their lives collapse on themselves like a house of cards and they’re left with nothing. The only answers they want are more lies to confirm that their cult leader actually won the election.

McLaughlin goes on to say that Illinois needs to adopt the same election laws as Florida. No it doesn’t. Illinois election law works. 

I volunteered as a poll watcher for my precinct in the 2018 and 2020 elections. Both of those experiences reinforced my confidence in the integrity of the voting systems. There is absolutely no way voter fraud could drastically change the vote count.

A very small number of ballots could possibly be cast illegally through forgery. Signatures are verified by election judges and if there’s a signature question multiple judges are asked to verify. If that decision isn’t conclusive the voter is given a provisional ballot and their ballot is certified at the county level.

I also volunteered as an observer during the Underwood/Oberweis discovery recount in McHenry County.  I personally observed well over 1,000 ballots and all of them both by mail and in person; 100% had the required election judge initial. That means the ballot signature was accepted by the judge.

The only way these conspiracies continue is through the words of elected representatives who continue to be in denial and sow that little mustard seed of doubt that takes root and leads to the ransacking of our nation’s capital building.

When Representative McLaughlin loses his next election, he’ll read chapter and verse from Trump’s playbook and say; find me 11,780 votes!

And what is it with this love affair of Florida? It’s nothing more than a dystopian society that worships a mouse! Get over it!

Phil Heil

Huntley