 Champaign County Clerk Mark Sheldon and other clerks in university
counties objected to
Senate Bill 3012 when lawmakers approved it, saying they didn't
have the money for what they expected to be little reward. Their
prediction appears to have come true."It's been a real, real
challenge for us logistically in a time when we're cutting budgets
in all sorts of other ways," Sheldon said. "So from that standpoint
it's been difficult."
He said that of the 800 estimated early votes cast since Oct. 11
through Thursday, only about 74 of them were cast by voters 23 or
younger.
The law was intended to get out the vote among college students
in a midterm election that so far has lacked the energy of the 2008
election that vaulted Barack Obama to the Oval Office.
Set to retire after Tuesday's election, DeKalb County Clerk
Sharon Holmes spent $25,000 on four additional voting machines, a
couple of laptops and their move onto campus in order to comply with
the new mandate.
During the four days of early voting on the Northern Illinois
University campus, election booths were set up in four dorms, along
Greek row and a couple of other places near the campus area. Of the
323 votes cast, about 95 were cast by students, Holmes said.
"So we're looking at close to $25,000 -- or maybe more -- $25,000
for 323 votes," she said. "Now do you think that's worth it?"
Jackson County Clerk Larry Reinhardt shared the same frustration
-- but expected it. His office set up a polling place on the campus
of Southern Illinois University Carbondale four years ago, when
early voting was first approved by the state.
"We had a very poor response four years ago the first time we did
it, and for that reason we have not done it on campus since then,"
Reinhardt said.
However, since Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Sheila
Simon and Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney both
teach at SIUC, he expected a better turnout.
"We were on campus five days and we may end with a couple hundred
voters total in those five days -- 200 to 300 -- but four years from
now, I bet we'll be lucky to have 25 or 30 again," Reinhardt said.
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The pilot project of mandating an early voting site on campus
lasts only for this 2010 general election. Election authorities must
report their vote totals and other findings to the Illinois State
Board of Elections by March 11. Reinhardt said he most likely won't
recommend to continue the project, primarily because of finances.
"We had to secure about $7,000 additional funding from our board
to comply with this requirement, and that's mainly because we had
eliminated all off-site early voting this year due to budget cuts on
the local level, as well as the reduction in funding for early
voting at the state level," Reinhardt said. "Basically they cut our
funds in half for early voting and then added requirements, mandates
to it as well. So, we took a double hit on the budget."
Holmes placed the blame on politics.
"We just have to dance to whatever tune they play in
Springfield," she said. "We never have a voice in anything."
McDonough County Clerk Gretchen DeJaynes agrees but with a
caveat. During the 2008 presidential election, she saw about 3,000
voter registrations from Western Illinois University's campus. This
year, that number is down to about 500.
"Do it when there's interest, but don't make it mandatory for us
to be there when there is no interest," DeJaynes said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By MARY MASSINGALE]
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