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* Background is here if you need it. The Illinois State Board of Elections’ website may be the worst piece of junk in the history of online junk…
The janky @illinoissbe website is killing me again. Took me *9* tries to pull up the full list of Illinois House candidate election results this evening. Nine. https://t.co/YNTdx9u2vR
— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) July 21, 2023
A grand total of *23* attempts to get that janky site to load the state Senate primary results. I mean, it's after 9:30 at night. Imagine trying to get those results during a high usage period. Just awful. Unacceptable.
— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) July 21, 2023
It’s also difficult to find things on that site, but the big problem is IT DOESN’T WORK. I am not asking for wowza 21st Century design. I’m just asking that when I click on a function, the website actually responds. This has been a problem for years, so the jankiness appears to be a choice. And the problems also appear to be getting worse and nobody over there seems to care enough to fix them.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:03 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Question of the day
Next Post: Republican county sheriff downplays SAFE-T Act impact: “I don’t think we’re going to be releasing a lot when it’s all said and done”
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PREACH the site feels like they don’t care if anyone finds anything. and I think it is on purpose. yeah, it feels that bad.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:14 am
===and I think it is on purpose===
It’s a deliberate choice they’ve made over there to put out a ridiculously shoddy product.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:15 am
Cook County Board of Elections and City Board of Elections have new phone trees that make it nearly impossible to connect to real people to get questions answered.
Terrible all around.
Comment by unreal Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:17 am
They still have not posted the 2024 Candidate’s Guide.
In the Information for Voters section, the third link is to the PDF 2022 General Election Calendar.
In the Press Room menu, the 2020 Campaign Disclosure calendar is featured.
Beyond the functionality issue, which is most important, they don’t even bother with basic housekeeping.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:21 am
Seems like they should just offer the raw data for download.
Comment by OneMan Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:21 am
It’s a nostalgia website. Lean into it.
Comment by James Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:24 am
Have you called the Exec. Director Steven Sandvoss directly? What was his response to the ‘janky inquiry’?
Comment by Sayitaintso Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:25 am
hasn’t it pretty much been the same for almost 20 years?
Comment by transplant Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:30 am
==hasn’t it pretty much been the same for almost 20 years?==
Yes, which makes it even worse….
Comment by huh Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:33 am
Moe, it is not uncommon for them to not publish the candidates guide until a week or two before the petition window opens. So maybe not for another 3 weeks. It seems like their practice is to keep up documents from the last election until the next election. They are not awful reference points.
To the post, it is such a frustrating website to try to use. The lack of any apparent effort to user experience is ridiculous. Like Rich I don’t expect the prettiest site but there is so much bad functionality. I’m not sure where the problems are, the data sources or the site code, but it is long past due for it to be working.
Comment by Anonish Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:36 am
huh @ 10:33 - get your own handle. This one has been mine since blago was governor.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:37 am
Imagine working in an elections department and trying to use their website on a pretty regular basis. It’s so bad.
Comment by Ronaldo Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:42 am
The site is “functionally intolerable”
They made/make it so “in the end” you are likely to get and find all you are looking for, but it’s never been “user friendly functional” which is wholly a choice made over years, and it can be said, and decades.
It’s how “mediocre middle management” approaches their work, now embodied by a website.
They can do better, like the mediocre middle managers, there’s no necessity for it in their eyes.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:45 am
===Have you called===
Why? I’ve called that place dozens of times during the past 20+ years and it’s the same excuses over and over.
No more talk.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 10:58 am
No comment other than to add me to the list here of people who’ve dealt with the absurdity of the website too. It’s so bad it’s almost like a lame prank.
Comment by Torco Sign Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:15 am
Is it possible that it is a horrible website on purpose?
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:18 am
Rich, at least they don’t send a copy of your request to see a report to the candidate anymore!
Comment by 100 miles west Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:24 am
===at least they don’t send a copy===
That wasn’t their doing so they get no credit.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:25 am
===Is it possible that it is a horrible website on purpose?===
Yes.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:26 am
add my name to the list of utterly frustrated users…
Comment by bored now Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 11:42 am
I’m 2023, this is not an ideal agency to have these concerns.
I hope a ballsy legislator is monitoring this.
Comment by 40,000 ft Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:07 pm
I attempted to use the website only once in recent years. It had to do with information on fundraising events. It was as satisfactory as trying to use a telephone book that had been sitting in a muddy puddle for a couple of months. (Remember phone books? Accurate, logical, intuitive, accessible and dependable)
They deal in facts, numbers, policies, and results, that are verifiable. An ideal universe for computerization. Yet…
Comment by Langhorne Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:29 pm
Let’s Get Janky With It. who should get the complaints? is there a champion in the legislature? the Governor’s Office? sure, it costs money, but they might be able to do a few fixes for not much money with the product they have. Cap Fax community, we can do this.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:30 pm
this is right up the alley of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. they should be on it, able to comment to the authorities. anyone know someone there? other groups?
Comment by Amalia Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:32 pm
@Anonish: thank you for the reply.
Just doesn’t seem ideal to me, from a democracy perspective, that they wait until right before petition circulation to publish a guide on how to be a candidate. Maybe they are waiting to incorporate state law changes from the session, but a disclaimer could be added and updated guides published if necessary.
As far as leaving up old documents like the 2022 and 2020 calendars. Sure, in the interest of history and accountability. Those belong on a page or in a section called Archives, not on pages oriented towards present day concerns.
A site that doesn’t function well and one loaded with clutter is of a piece.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:39 pm
=== sure, it costs money===
They already have a tech staff (exclamation point)
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:44 pm
===They already have a tech staff (exclamation point)====
I get that. but is that an issue? incapable? or is the product itself not workable? AND hiring someone could be faster fixing.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:49 pm
sorry, anonymous is me
Comment by Amalia Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:51 pm
Elections isn’t sexy and it doesn’t have a constitutional official behind it, to be the face of it. Most state web sites are also considered “Governor” related sites, and so there’s a big incentive for the administrators of those sites to not draw negative attention, even kiss up A little, by being attractive and effective… Same as Comptroller, Treasurer, etc. When the big boss’ face is on the front, more effort happens.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 12:54 pm
Maybe this was the agency Rauner was talking about that didn’t have any computers. After throwing up the janky site, someone came in and took their one working computer away.
Comment by Lagartha's Shield Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 1:09 pm
===Seems like they should just offer the raw data for download.===
They do. It works peachy fine, I’ve never had the sort of problems others have, but it’s because I just download everything.
They really should have the 2024 guides and election calendar up by now though. That’s certainly a fail on their part.
Comment by electiondatalady Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 1:18 pm
===It works peachy fine===
Speak for yourself.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 1:18 pm
…Also, if they’re gonna put important links on their website, they need to make sure those links always work.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 1:19 pm
==Maybe this was the agency Rauner was talking about that didn’t have any computers.==
I think he claimed that was IDFPR.
Comment by Big Dipper Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 1:22 pm
Yes, it was professional regulations Rauner visited, and of course he exaggerated and mischaracterized the situation for political purposes. Ifpr was buried under paper based applications and certificates. They needed more and better scanners and software to digitize the incoming stuff and archive the old stuff to digital storage, plus staff to process it, and previous funding had been lacking to do that. Rauner tried to make it seem like it was some Fred Flintstone operation, which was unfair and less than accurate.
Moving lots of the applications online was a big step.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Jul 21, 23 @ 2:47 pm