DuPage Co. (ECWd) –
Earlier this year DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek crowed about the vote by mail in DuPage County. She said “promoting vote-by-mail has been key to my efforts to increase voter access in DuPage County.” She patted herself on the back that “my office mailed those [vote by mail] applications twice, before both the primary and general elections. Over 85% of our mail ballot requests have been permanent, ensuring that vote-by-mail turnout will continue to grow in future elections.” Press Release
Here’s the problem: Anytime you send these official documents out not once, but twice; you are just asking for more errors and opening the door for potential fraud.
The federal US Election Assistance Commission warns that when it comes to ballots, it is essential to have a clear chain of custody. They insist that the “chain of custody of ballots, voting equipment, and associated data is essential to ensure the election system remains trustworthy. Documentation of the chain of custody also provides evidence that all voting procedures were followed. It is a best practice for a chain of custody procedures to be clearly defined in advance of every election, well documented, and followed consistently throughout the entire election lifecycle or process.” US Election Assistance Commission
What happens when a County Clerk doesn’t get their vote by mail ballots delivered directly to them from the post office? They send someone over to pick them up from the Post Office. The DuPage County Clerk does just that.
See the problem yet?
To see what was going on, we asked the DuPage County Clerk for their records for the mail-in ballot chain of custody. Our request number 3 was as follows:
- A copy of the chain of custody record or policy regarding picking up US Mail from the post office in which mail-in ballots would be included.
Did we get it? Nope.
Instead, her lawyer said, “The Election Division does not maintain a record responsive to item 3 of your FOIA Request”.
DuPage County didn’t have the most basic chain of custody records for the vote-by-mail ballots they picked up from the post office.
For those who missed similar ballot-related concerns we covered in Champaign County, it turns out the Champaign County Clerk is another election authority who has no chain of custody records for test ballots, sample ballots, and official ballots in Champaign County prior to the filing of a TRO against the Chief Deputy Clerk and Clerk after ballots shown as official ballots were identified in an employee’s vehicle as reported here.
This should concern every American who understands the importance of integrity in our elections, which includes avoiding even the appearance of impropriety.
Having very limited knowledge of the entire election process, we are confident that if we can see the major problem with this, then so should the County Clerks who are entrusted with ballot integrity.
How many other Counties in Illinois have the same issue?
11 Comments
Abigail
Posted at 17:55h, 29 December“What happens when a County Clerk doesn’t get their vote by mail ballots delivered directly to them from the post office? They send someone over to pick them up from the Post Office. The DuPage County Clerk does just that.”
How do you know this? The statement is given as fact without any evidence. It’s possible they don’t have records responsive to the request because they don’t do what you allege they are doing.
Mary Carlisle
Posted at 21:37h, 28 DecemberMcLean County also goes to the post office to pickup vote by mail ballots
Do they have a Chain of custody record?
B Cox
Posted at 09:26h, 27 DecemberWe may assume that these big cities have the failures of politicized voter fraud, but…my friends… even our local elections should face scrutiny. There is a growing loss of integrity among our citizenry to “win at all cost”. If Watch Dogs can reveal corruption in “meetings process”, should it come as a surprise that even local elections would have such corruption? There is no remedy but that “Good people” (with integrity) get involved at ALL levels of government. Remember the words of John Stuart Mill in 1867- “All it takes for evil to triumph, is for GOOD people to do nothing”!! (a brief condensed version).
Theophilus Daniella
Posted at 22:28h, 27 DecemberThere is a growing loss of integrity among our citizenry to “win at all cost”. If Watch Dogs can reveal corruption in “meetings process”, should it come as a surprise that even local elections would have such corruption? There is no remedy but that “Good people” (with integrity) get involved at ALL levels of government. Remember the words of John Stuart Mill in 1867- “All it takes for evil to triumph, is for GOOD people to do nothing.
Vote by mail is nothing but an invitation for fraud! The ONLY way to insure honest elections is to require “in person” voting w/ valid I.D.’s
Mags
Posted at 09:01h, 27 DecemberAnd the Republicans on the Dupage County Board see no problem with this and are not holding her accountable. I guess because some of them keep getting re-elected they are fine with it. There is NO oversight of the County Clerk as far as the Elections are concerned or anything for that matter. Dupage County was better off with an Election Commission with which we had some oversight over. The Attorney is another problem. He has been part of the system far too long. The problem is NOTHING is being done or will be done about it. They are in power and are not going to do the right thing.
John Q Public
Posted at 18:57h, 27 DecemberDemocrats are evil; Republicans are stupid (because they don’t do anything about it).
Dave
Posted at 12:29h, 26 DecemberMakes it easier to complete ballots which are not filled out
Nick Cohan
Posted at 11:55h, 26 DecemberJust more easier voter fraud no chain of custody and now the clerk is picking them up from PO no end of corruption
We are loosing America Elections results now cant be trusted to be have a correct count Pray Pray
Gerard H Schilling
Posted at 11:52h, 26 DecemberJust more chronic problems with our voting systems. No wonder DuPage is now solid blue!
Edgar Paris
Posted at 11:52h, 26 DecemberVote by mail is nothing but an invitation for fraud! The ONLY way to insure honest elections is to require “in person” voting w/ valid I.D.’s
John Q Public
Posted at 11:13h, 26 DecemberTo Democrats who enjoy “finding” ballots for days/weeks after elections end, this “chain of custody problem” is actually a feature not a bug.