TAZEWELL COUNTY, Ill. — The people responsible for counting ballots on Election Day in central Illinois are likely to be encountered by a much higher number of poll watchers than they’ve seen in the past.
“In the past, these same groups…would have submitted maybe one or maybe two poll watchers altogether and now we’re hearing all 52 voting locations are going to have poll watchers, plus our offices and our tabulation facilities,” said Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman.
He says it’s not something his team sees as a problem or a threat. In fact, quite to the contrary, Ackerman says he welcomes the added scrutiny, calling it a vital part of the democratic process.
Election Day poll watchers are allowed to be assigned by everything including individual candidate campaigns to non-profit special interest groups to the U.S. House of Representatives official poll watchers as well.
“The system has always been designed to allow for citizen oversight of these processes. This is the opportunity for these individual citizens to be the eyes and ears for their individual groups,” said Ackerman.
He adds, however, that he has no illusions about how such increased attention on the counting of the vote could lead to miscommunications, misunderstandings and misgivings.
He is asking poll watchers to do the best they can to work directly with local election workers to resolve any issues.
Polls are scheduled to be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Illinois.
