 Six counties
-- Boone, Jersey, St. Clair, Hancock, Massac and
Schuyler -- are being ordered to accept overseas ballots postmarked as
late as Nov. 2 and to count ballots received as late as Nov. 19. All
other counties will only count ballots postmarked by Nov. 1 and
received no later than Nov. 16.
State Board of Elections chief Dan White said only the six counties
mailed ballots late enough to cause worry.
"Even though some other ballots were sent out late, past the
Sept. 18 deadline, those ballots had sufficient time to be voted
and returned. But there were some jurisdictions where the ballots
went out considerably late," he said.
White said the important issue for both the state board and the
Department of Justice is that overseas votes will be counted. He
adds that no one is looking to blame local counties.
"Our focus, and for the Justice Department as well, is: ... Let's see
what we can do to fix the problem and give people overseas and
military people a chance to have their voices heard."
But that is not how county clerks in some of the six targeted
counties see things.
Massac County Clerk John Taylor said he was late with a total of
four ballots, only one that has not been returned yet, and is now on
a list from the Department of Justice.
"I think they're wanting to make a point. And Massac County is going
to be listed there for one vote," he said.
Taylor said the whole controversy could have been avoided by a few
phone calls. But Hancock County Clerk Kerry Asbridge said he doesn't
think that's what investigators wanted.
"This is a classic case of both the Department of Justice and the
State Board of Elections spending way too much time playing on
computers and e-mail, instead of going out in the field and talking
to the people who are trying to go by their conflicting directives."
Many of the counties that missed the September deadline said they
were late because of a pending court challenge to the ballot. And Asbridge said he'd rather be late than have to pay for new ballots.
[to top of second column] |
"We'd have gladly had all these ballots printed if either the
federal government or the state of Illinois would have given us
$8,000 to have them reprinted," he said.
Asbridge added that Hancock County had eight late ballots. Taylor, in
Massac County, said he had just the four.
Pam McCollough in Boone County said she had just two and both
have been returned. That's a question she said no one ever asked
her.
"I felt there would not have been a problem with both military
ballots (because) they were both in the United States," she said.
St. Clair County had the most late military and overseas ballots,
over 1,200, all of which officials say will be counted. White, with
the state board, says the investigation into the matter is now
complete.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
 |
