Peoria County Election Commission Observer Report

  The December meeting of the Peoria County Election Commission was held on December 8, 2020, at the County Courthouse with all members present.  In discussing expenditures, Director Tom Bride said there is plenty of PPE left over for the spring elections. 

• Ballot Trax is paid by the sign-in.  10,300 voters signed up for it, with 32,000 sign-ins. 
• The bill from Verizon from last month that was too high is still being worked on. 
• Recoding for hotspots needs to be completed. 
• Of the $224,658 CARES Act, all but $21,000 has been paid out, and that amount has been spoken for. 
• Of the $85,7575 allowed by the Postage Grant, $62,000 goes back to the County IT department to pay for mailing applications and ballots. 
• The Center for Tech & Civic Life Grant has been used to pay for Ballot Trax, flags and stickers, training and related videos, some phone expenses, toner, and a shredder. 
• The $109,544 can now be used through July.  Director Bride wants to give hazard pay: $1500 to full time employees, $500 to part time employees, and $100 to judges.  That will leave $21,000 to be used in the spring elections.

 
Break down of the November 3 election: 72.56% total turnout with 35% vote by mail, 31% early voting, and 34% voting on election day.  The total number of voters was just under 85,000.  For the February 23 primary, the list of primary candidates should now be on the website, early and by mail voting begins on January 14.  Filing for school boards will be between December 14 and 21.  Some problems with on line requests for primary ballots is being worked on.  The office is planning on using Ballot Trax again.
 

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​The Election Commission office is working with reduced staff.  Two full and one part time staff are working remotely.  The only employees working in the building are Director Bride and his assistant in the office and Aaron in the warehouse.
 
Later that afternoon the commission was to hear challenges to petitions to two mayoral candidates, which had to be held in the courthouse.  (Both challenges were upheld, and both candidates have said they will run as write-ins.)
 
Irene Pritzker, Observer