September 5, 2023
Dear editor;
Many question whether election totals reported by Illinois election authorities are always accurate. Errors can occur, and sometimes election contests are decided by only a handful of votes. However, in Illinois, independent audits of computerized election reports prepared by county clerks and election boards are not required by law. Some have even called Illinois elections “faith-based” affairs.
The citizens of Illinois have a path toward statewide election integrity. House Bill 2555, The Illinois Election Integrity Act, introduced by State Representative Suzanne Ness, mandates election audits be conducted by licensed independent CPAs, for primary and general elections. Independent external review by CPAs, would provide evidence to support the accuracy of the reported election results.
The estimated cost for these audits is approximately $4 million for a two-year election cycle. The cost to Illinois residents would be approximately $.32 per election cycle. However, people have voiced opposition to audits due to the cost involved. Currently, Illinois law requires more than 9,200 governmental units to submit annual financial statements, audited by licensed independent CPAs, to the Illinois State Comptroller. The annual cost of these audits for Illinois exceeds $100 million per year.
Why does Illinois law mandate independent financial audits for more than 9,200 governmental units, including cities, counties, townships, and school districts?
Because, without independent review, there can be little or no assurance that these financial reports are free from unintentional errors or intentional fraud. Shouldn’t we care as much for the integrity of our election results?
If you are concerned about the vulnerability of Illinois elections to unintentional computer errors, intentional fraud, or ballot irregularities, there is something that you can do.
The Illinois Ballot Integrity Project (IBIP) www.ballot-integrity.org is a non-partisan and non-profit organization actively working to build support for mandatory election audits, conducted by independent licensed CPAs. To learn more about how you can support Illinois election integrity, E-mail “feedback@ballot-integrity.org”
IBIP is in the process of creating a Kane County Chapter to support election integrity in Kane County, as well as the State of Illinois. They would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Larry Quick, Ph.D., Aurora, Member, lllinois CPA Society