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* Mark Maxwell at WCIA…
One week before a presidential primary election, Secretary of State Jesse White’s office sent a letter to the State Board of Elections acknowledging a third “programming error” that, left undetected, could have created confusion at polling places and could have denied valid voters from casting their ballots.
Instead, local election officials are scrambling to update their voter rolls with the names of more than a thousand valid voters who were denied their registration through the state’s new automatic voter registration program, which is facilitated at DMV sites and other state locations throughout the state.
In a letter to county clerks, the State Board of Elections said White’s office, “had identified a batch of records for REAL ID applicants which were erroneously categorized as having opted out of registration, due to a programming error. The records that were identified should have been categorized as valid AVR applications.” […]
According to a spokesman at the State Board of Elections, the error resulted in errant denials of 1,152 valid voter registrations in 87 of the state’s 108 election jurisdictions. However, in Sangamon County, where the state only counted 20 affected voters, the local clerk found 102.
“They also had an error in displaying the application date,” Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said. “We identified 19 that were wrongly categorized as ‘opted out’ and 83 that displayed the wrong application date.”
Thank goodness they caught this error, so all’s well that ends well. But, man, they really need to get their act together over there.
Secretary White is famous for giving people second chances. This is strike three.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:30 pm
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SOS folks, it’s time to fully audit the system - every voter rego - before the general. It should have been done before the primary, but it’s too late now with the election a week away.
This is absurd, and keeping people from their primary civic right and duty.
Comment by lakeside Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:45 pm
If you go in person to vote and they say you are not registered aren’t you supposed to get a provisional ballot to vote and that gets checked later? What happens though if you request a mail in ballot do you just not get one or are you told something wrong please fix it?
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:47 pm
We should be fair and give him more time. He’s new to this office and all the crazy technology kids use these days. Or something.
Truth is, Jesse White has gotten a lot of passes on the way his agency has operated, or hasn’t operated, over the years because “It’s Jesse White”
Comment by fs Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:47 pm
& Jessie wonders why he was sued?
Comment by Jimbo26 Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:48 pm
DuPage - in a lot of cases, you could update your rego or re-register at your polling place (see below). But then you’ve got to have two forms of ID, etc. You could also vote provisionally, yes, but if the BoE doesn’t know you’re supposed to be registered, might be a problem.
“Under the law, counties with populations of 100,000 or more must provide voters with the same-day registration option at polling places on Election Day. Smaller counties must also do so, if they keep voter records electronically. Smaller counties that don’t keep electronic poll books must offer same-day registration at their main election office or at polling places in the county’s larger municipalities.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-same-day-voter-registration-1009-20161007-story.html
Comment by lakeside Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:51 pm
A well-executed program does not have continuous errors of procedure or process.
The procedures and processes here in this program continue be be fraught with error after error.
Great it was caught. Why did it need to be caught in the first place.
Not great, to say the least.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:52 pm
Is there any accountability in that office?
Do they understand how badly stories like this undermine confidence in our election system?
Democrats - justifiably - criticize Republicans for their disenfranchisement and suppression of voters.
But, such repeated bungling and incompetence in basic record keeping is raising its own questions about the integrity of the voter registration process.
Do the job or accept that 20+ years in the office was a good run and step aside for someone who can.
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 4:57 pm
So is the “new” system a vendor based program that’s not working or human error in not understanding the actual process of the job? If human error then some serious training needs to be done quickly. If software/program error via vendor then the vendor needs to fix immediately and cover all costs. If it was a program created by SoS or DoIT then maybe you don’t have the right folks in place?
Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 5:13 pm
I don’t disagree that the SOS needs to get its act in order, but with same day registration, will any of the effected voters be disenfranchised?
Comment by TominChicago Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 5:21 pm
*facepalm*
Things like this make it even harder to take Illinois and its state agencies serious.
Comment by revvedup Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 5:39 pm
Errr “affected voters”
Comment by TominChicago Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 5:46 pm
Jesse is in charge,so the blame goes to him on the errors. Whoever he placed to do these things has made the 3 strike rule. Time to find a more competent person.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 6:42 pm
Time to find a more competent Secretary of State.
Comment by Token Conservative Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 8:19 pm
Time for another one of those glitch fixes - AVR snafu 3.0
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 8:47 pm
Jesse White has been an admirable public servant and community leader. That said, it is time to pass the torch of the SOS office on and stick to the promise that 6 terms is enough.
Comment by OurMagician Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 10:00 pm
=== Thank goodness they caught this error, so all’s well that ends well.===
Do you really think they caught all the mistakes?
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Mar 10, 20 @ 10:02 pm
Is the programming done in-house, or by a consultant under contract?
Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Mar 11, 20 @ 8:00 am