Poplar Grove, Ill. (ECWd) –
The Village of Poplar Grove’s election this month was supposed to elect the village president, some village trustees, and the village clerk.
When it came time for the village clerk, Karri Miller, to certify the names for the ballots to the county clerk, none were certified in time.
On or around January 23, 2025, the county clerk then asked Miller to send the certifications, which she did, but only for the village president and the village trustees as page 1 of 2 and page 2 of 2. She did not certify any names for the village clerk’s election.
Ballots were then printed, which included the elected positions of village president, village trustees, but did not include any names for the village clerk.
After the ballots were printed and machines already programmed, and towards the end of March 2025, Miller notified the county clerk that she had made a mistake and provided an updated certification (pages 1, 2, and 3 of 3) which included her name as candidate for village clerk. The State Board of Elections told the county clerk that she did not have to do anything with the updated certifications.
Upon being notified nothing would happen with the updated certifications, Miller filed a lawsuit in Boone County Circuit Court, asking the court to order ballots be reprinted with her name listed for the election of village clerk. The court declined to do so, based on the information provided by both parties of this suit, the county clerk stating the reprinting costs would exceed $13,000, and that the village clerk was at fault for not certifying her own name to the county clerk. The court also advised that if Miller would pay for the printing of new ballots, then they should be printed.
In the transcripts, Miller contended that the county clerk was negligent because they did not send a sample ballot to the village or the village clerk. The county disputed that by citing the election code does not require providing sample ballots to the village – only that they are “made available” – which they were, on the county website and in person.
In a later agreement Miller and county clerk agreed that if Miller paid for the new ballots, the county clerk would have them printed and mailed out to those on the mail-in ballot list.
After receipt of $13,604. 37 for the cost of printing new ballots, the county clerk produced and distributed a ballot with only one name on it, and it was for the elected position of village clerk, Karri Miller.
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