* Last week…
Many of the early votes cast in Champaign County for the primary election may have been counted the night before Election Day, in violation of state law.
The first summary report of election returns — posted shortly after the polls closed Tuesday by Democratic Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons — appears to have been created at 10:19 p.m. Monday, according to the timestamp on the report.
State law mandates that early ballots can’t be counted until after the polls close on Election Day, and they are to be counted in the presence of both political parties, according to Republican county Recorder Mark Shelden, who once served as clerk.
“I cannot emphasize enough how out of line this is,” Shelden said. “Literally, in the dark of night, they’re counting votes with no Republicans present and uploading them into the system.”
* Ammons refused comment, but posted this on Facebook…
On the evening of Monday, March 16th the tabulators used to record and secure ballots at 10 early voting sites around the county were closed. A Democratic and Republican judge executed this process, jointly handled the ballots, and both signed off on the corresponding written results. The results are housed on a military-grade encrypted thumb drive and on a printed report from the tabulator, those and the ballots themselves are securely transported back to the Election Services Building, again, with Democratic and Republican judges together. These materials are received and checked by Democratic and Republican staff people, together, then secured in a locked box.
This process was in place before I became Clerk and remains the most secure option for recording early voting ballots while opening the same locations for Election Day.
* Not so, says former county clerk Gordy Hulten…
“What he’s saying is ‘We generated results and the judges handled them,’ which is a no-no, and not the procedure he inherited,” Hulten said.
In addition to the fact that it’s the law, Hulten said, observing the statute on timing of generating results matters “because voters who haven’t yet voted could be discouraged by the early release of results,” he said. “It’s important because candidates who know results prior to the close of polls can potentially use that information to their advantage.” […]
“Mr. Ammons’ Facebook post indicates that his election judges printed and returned tabulator tapes with results to him on Monday evening, before the close of voting on Tuesday night,” Hulten said. “The screen capture of the results shown to me indicate that his office read the USB memory sticks and generated aggregated results reports, also on Monday evening, before the close of voting on Tuesday night.”
In his instructions to election judges about closing early voting for the November 2018 election, Hulten said there isn’t a mention of judges printing, signing or returning a results tape when closing, “because under our procedures, no results tape was generated.”
*** UPDATE *** Ammons was harshly rebuked this week by the Illinois State Board of Elections…
- Zig - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:35 pm:
Once a felon…
Oh you know the rest
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:45 pm:
It’s truly *one* thing to allegedly break the law and dangerously so with an election… but it’s *another* thing to respond by saying your predecessor started the “practice” as a rationale.
Not only is that thinking in of itself “criminal” to the honesty of the job, it’s immoral to decide to throw others in the way of what you, yourself, are being accused of.
It’s brutal.
- Nick - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:48 pm:
What a mess.
- Arock - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:52 pm:
His resignation should be accepted immediately.
- Wizzard of Ozzie - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 12:57 pm:
Shop lifting from a thrift store. Not being able to perform the most basic functions of your job.
The Ammons should both leave public life. It’s embarrassing.
- Say What? - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:02 pm:
I have never met a more honest and up front public servant than Gordy Hulten . . .ever.
The Ammons, plural, would be at the opposite end of that commentary.
In a word . . . . . .predictable. . . . .
- NorthsideNoMore - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:22 pm:
So he knew it was illegal and did it anyway ? Stunning (snark)
ChamBana county ya get what you elect
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:29 pm:
Oops.
- Anonsih - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:32 pm:
Seems totally legit. /s
- Say What? - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:36 pm:
The fourth paragraph of the letter from the Illinois State Board of Elections Counsel is as a very professional way to suggest that “you sir, are incompetent” . . . . .
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:37 pm:
That letter says…
“You’re incompetent, call us next time.”
This is… wow…
“It would be to your benefit… “
Talk about passive aggressive. That’s some choice wordsmithing.
- WCIA called - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:43 pm:
They just wanted to say thanks for the early results.
- Rutro - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:51 pm:
Chicago/Cook? Their mail results were loaded that (election)night despite the incorrect press release, right? How is the county only processing 2300 ballots while the city has 35kish?
- shocked - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 1:55 pm:
It’s pretty cool to see the Board of Elections wanting folks to comply with the Election Code. Wonder if they ever sent a letter like this to the SOS over automatic voter registration
- GADawg - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:04 pm:
Accused. Rebuked. Charged?
- Phenomynous - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:09 pm:
Maybe he was confused by Section 19-8 (Underlined in the letter). Change that “may” to a “shall”.
/s
- Frank talks - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:48 pm:
The Ammons family running Champaign County, that’s a diaper dandy baby.
Gosh I miss NCAA tournament
- Former Candidate on the Ballot - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 2:55 pm:
A common phrase used on this blog - “Elections have consequences”
It is up to the voters of Champaign county to determine what level of competence they want running their local offices
- WOW - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 3:48 pm:
and this guy is making decisions on the SURS board- ARE you kidding me?
- Huh? - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 3:51 pm:
So he got his fingers slapped. Does anyone think it will make a difference in future behavior? Will it nullify the election?
- Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 5:25 pm:
Not to mention that his wife and stepdaughter are on the ballet.
- Token Conservative - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 6:47 pm:
==Not to mention that his wife and stepdaughter are on the ballet.==
They dance?
- Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 7:27 pm:
I don’t knock appropriate hobbies.
. ^ballot
- annonamoose - Tuesday, Mar 24, 20 @ 11:42 pm:
Well, he can always go back to his Building Service Worker position at the U of I, they gave him a four (4) year leave of absence so he could work elsewhere.And keep his spot on the pension board.