Eye On Illinois: Tazewell clerk says ‘Get involved in the process’

John Ackerman is my new favorite elected official.

Ackerman, the Tazewell County clerk, spoke at a news conference Tuesday in Pekin. His remarks helped form the basis of a Capitol News Illinois report on a concerted effort to stamp out misinformation campaigns regarding election integrity.

According to CNI’s Peter Hancock, officials from 25 counties conducted three sessions – adding McLean and La Salle counties – to debrief and debunk. Voting machines aren’t rigged. Counting devices aren’t hacked. Polling places don’t close early. They don’t run out of ballots. Votes marked with Sharpies get counted just the same as the rest.

McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael said tracking the rumors is a job on its own, especially given 21st century gossip-spreading tools.

“We actually have social media monitors that we hire on Election Day,” Michael said, “and even before, and they try to watch as many as possible – you can’t watch them all – and see if something comes up so we can get ahead of them, whether it’s Reddit or Facebook or whatever.”

Some people will never be convinced regardless of evidence. In fact, proof of the lie will only further harden many a conspiracist. Others will say even if the votes are counted fairly, the system is rigged. In a state as gerrymandered as Illinois, that’s a conversation worth exploring. Local election workers, however, don’t draw the political maps or write campaign financing rules or enact vote by mail laws. They just make sure Election Day goes as intended.

But for the majority of the voting public, efforts like Tuesday’s are reassuring. People believe in free and fair elections. Having these conversations months away from the next time a polling place is open helps remind folks that just because the fringes are loud doesn’t make them correct.

Back to Ackerman, who is my new favorite because his comments align entirely with the ethos of this column: Ask questions and get involved. Have concerns or questions regarding procedures or equipment? Take them to a local election authority.

“We welcome your inquiries,” Ackerman said. “Better yet, get involved in our processes. We all need more election judges. You’re never going to hear one of us say we don’t want more election judges. Get involved in the process.”

In July 2022, Woodstock’s John Sullivan told me his experience as an election judge left him “feeling more hopeful and optimistic about my community. The respectful and civil way in which people came together and participated in the political process was just the tonic I needed.”

People as young as 16 are eligible. There is training, pay and usually snacks.

Safe elections don’t happen by magic. Regular people do important work, and you can join them.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Media. Follow him on Twitter @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.