March 12, 2018
Dear editor;
I have been an Aurora resident for close to 30 years. Since 2003 I have been actively involved with Illinois election integrity issues. I currently serve as chairman of the Kane County Chapter of the nonpartisan Illinois Ballot Integrity Project (www.ballot-integrity.org).
Aurora is fortunate to have its elections administered by an independent election commission. The Aurora Election Commission is composed of three commissioners appointed by the chief judge of the Kane County Circuit. Commission members do not run for elected office and they do not answer to the partisan chair of the Kane County Board or the partisan Kane County Clerk.
In 2006, the Kane County Clerk was responsible for rolling out, and had control of, newly-purchased Hart Intercivic e-slate DRE voting machines. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to vote on paper ballots administered by the independent Aurora Election Commission. Voters in approximately 220 precincts in Kane County cannot vote on durable paper ballots, but instead must hope that the DRE e-slates accurately record and tabulate the votes that they cast, voting on a computerized election system administered by a partisan election official.
Since 2004, I have served as an elected precinct committee person in Aurora. I have had many occasions where I needed to rely on the services of Aurora Election Commission. The service that I received has been timely, convenient, and of a high quality. I did not have to go 12 miles to the Kane County Clerk’s Office in Geneva to obtain the information and services that I needed.
Keeping the Aurora election system independent serves as excellent safeguard against an unhealthy concentration of control over Kane County elections by an elected partisan County Clerk or a partisan County Board chairman.
Vote no on the March 20 the ballot referendum and retain Aurora Election law and the local services of the Aurora Election Commission.
Larry Quick, PhD, CPA, Chair, Kane County Chapter, Illinois Ballot Integrity Project
Aurora
