Peoria County Election Commission Observer Report

    Commissioner LaColis Reed was late, and Commissioner Sandra Burke was absent. 
   The Board approved training pay for election judges to rise from the current $25 to $35, dependent on the approval of the 2020 budget.  This would bring judges' pay in line with the pay raise in Tazewell County and encourage attendance at training sessions. 
   Approval was also granted for using part of the Election Security Grant to add two indoor cameras and two access control doors in the Election Commission office and warehouse.  This will cost $8840 of the $36,000 grant, still allowing for future needs. 
   Also approved was the use of election data by Larry Aspin for a study of cumulative voting.  (The League is hoping to use Larry's expertise in its study.)
  

  The Board voted to allow Director Tom Bride to attend the International Association of Government Officials Annual Conference in Houston, Texas.  He will also be allowed to be an election observer in either Kazakhstan or Ukraine through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
   Employees in the Commission office are starting to look at the 2020 budget and are looking at tracking software for vote-by-mail.
 The State's Attorney reported on a lawsuit filed by the owner of the property that houses the Election Commission.  It is in the discovery phase.  The lawsuit has two parts: 1)insurance payments for the common areas.  (They have not been paid because the county has not been billed.)  2)property taxes on the part that the county leases (The owner feels he is not responsible since a public entity is renting the space.)
 
Irene Pritzker