Two Election Authorities in Cook County Deal with Similar Issues Including Advent of Election Day Voter Registration in 2016

2016 Cook County Proposed Budget:  County Clerk and Chicago Board of Elections, October 29, 2015

Voter registration and all things having to do with elections within the city of Chicago are administered by the Chicago Board of Elections, while those duties in suburban Cook County come under the Cook County Clerk, who also has responsibility for a number of other functions.  The Board of Elections and County Clerk appeared separately before the County Board of Commissioners to discuss their separate budgets.  Both reported that the proposed 2016 budgets for elections are up only slightly from 2012, the last time there was a Presidential election year, which is the appropriate comparison:  2% for the County Clerk and 2.67% for the Chicago Board of Elections.  The issue of consolidating the two election functions also came up, as did the challenge of implementing election day voter registration for the first time in 2016.

County Clerk, David Orr

Clerk Orr explained that his office brings in $2 million more in fees for the County in connection with the vital records duties than expended in providing those services plus the duties of issuing tax rates, maintaining information on lobbyists, and preparing agendas and publishing and maintaining records for the Cook County Board.  In particular, he mentioned the success of cookcountygenealogy.com which helps people explore their ancestry even as it generates funds for the County.

There is a separate fund and division for elections within the Clerk’s office.  Costs have been held down for elections in part by reducing the number of precincts on election day by over 800 since 2012.  This reduction was made possible by the fact that 30-35% of those voting do so prior to election day, either by using mail ballots or by using early voting.  Clerk Orr urged support for automatic voter registration.  Commissioner Boykin asked what could be done to increase the number of people voting.  Clerk Orr said he supported moving election day to a holiday, such as Veterans’ Day.  The United States is one of only two major democracies not to vote on a holiday or weekend.  Moving elections to a holiday would also have the advantage of making it easier to get election judges – teachers, for example, would be available; and children would not be in schools, which would make it easier to use schools as polling places.  The Chicago Board of Elections supported that during its budget meeting.

Integrity of Mailed In Ballots

Commissioner Schneider, who also heads the Illinois Republican Party, said that he is very comfortable with the procedures in place in the Clerk’s office in dealing with mail-in ballots.  The Commissioner asked that the Clerk details these procedures for those members of the public listening.  The Clerk explained that each envelope is scanned when it comes into the office to get a digital picture of that piece of mail.  It is then locked up.  Shortly before election day, all the envelopes received go through a second pass and are sorted by precinct.  From the initial scan, the office knows how many ballots for each precinct should be there, and this is verified.  The envelopes are then locked up again until election day when the ballots are scanned and counted.

Issue of Consolidating the Two Election Functions

Commissioner Boykin also asked the Clerk his views on consolidating the election functions of the Clerk and the Chicago Board of Elections. Clerk Orr stated that it would save money and he supports it. However, he sees no political will to do consolidation, so he does not spend any of his time on this issue. He did stress that his office and the Chicago Board of Elections regularly consult and work together where possible. Commissioner Sims asked if consolidation were done, how might it be done. Clerk Orr stated that DuPage County has an election board for that county and a new Cook County election board could be created. Alternatively, the duties of the Chicago Board of Elections could be transferred to the Cook County Clerk’s office.

Chicago Board of Elections

No one asked about consolidation during the budget meeting with the Chicago Board of Elections.  However, Marisel Hernandez, one of the 3 members of that Board, opened the meeting stressing that the Board was created in 1885-86 to clean up elections by having this Board barred from contributing or otherwise participating in partisan politics.  Each of these Board members is appointed by the Chief Judge after he receives applications. 

To deal with the election day registration at the precincts, the Chicago Board of Elections is creating a new position of Election Coordinator for each polling place.  Those in this position will need to attend two trainings and pass a test on voter registration.  Also, the Board will be sending a vote by mail application to each registered voter in Chicago in order to make it more convenient, as well as a reminder that vote by mail is an option.  This will hopefully result in more people voting by mail as opposed to going to the polls, thereby making it easier to deal with same day registration.

Commissioner Schneider asked whether Chicago, which paid all the cost of the city elections in 2015, also contributes to the costs of running elections in 2016.  The City pays $14 million for the Chicago Board of Elections in 2016; the County will be paying $17.8 million under the 2016 proposed budget.

Old Equipment

Both election authorities are dealing with aging equipment that is approaching 10 years.  Both hope that new equipment will be available for the 2020 election.  The current equipment was purchased with dollars coming from the Federal government.  There is a huge question as to where the dollars will come from for future purchases.

-- Priscilla Mims, League Observer

Cook County Board Meeting--March 1, 2012

Issues with Medical Examiner and Recorder of Deeds Offices

The first of two main issues discussed and voted on during yesterday's Cook County Board meeting dealt with the Medical Examiner's Office. Since being in the news over the past few months, various proposals have been made by commissioners to "clean up" this office. Chief Administrative Officer, Robin Kelly, presented her findings to the Board with regard to changes being made at the Medical Examiner's office. These include holding unclaimed bodies for a maximum of 60 days, a quarterly report by the Medical Examiner regarding the disposition of bodies at the morgue, better notification to families, and faster burial procedures. An advisory board of interested stakeholders will be appointed to oversee these changes and suggest other procedures.

Concerns and questions brought up included decreased funding from the state and Cook County, use of Catholic Charities providing free burial plots, Sheriff Dart's offer to have inmates build coffins for the indigent.

After much back and forth over several meetings, a compromise ordinance was presented by Comm. Silvestri and approved almost unanimously by the Board, with Comm. Beavers voting "present." The new ordinance makes the medical examiner position a 5-year term with appointment by the Cook County President. The medical examiner may be removed-- due to negligence, malfeasance, illegal conduct, failure to properly execute duties of the office--by written request of the president and majority approval of the Cook County Board. The medical examiner can also be re-appointed after the 5-year term is over. The current Medical Examiner, Dr. Nancy Jones, is considered to have begun her term as of December 6, 2010, when President Preckwinkle took office.

The second major issue to continue at this Board meeting was the proposed referendum on consolidating the offices of the Recorder of Deeds and the County Clerk by 2016. The sponsor, Comm. Fritchey, touted cost savings, efficiencies, combined technology, and fewer staff needed for satellite offices. He stated that all the obligations/work now done at the Recorder's Office would still be done in a consolidated office. Most large counties in the United States have combined these two offices. Many speakers have spoken for and against this referendum in the past and at this meeting. Karen Yarbrough, who is running for Recorder of Deeds in the next election, and elected recorders of deeds from Champaign and Kankakee counties spoke vehemently against the consolidation.

Many commissioners felt the plan was not thought-out enough and it was alluded that political considerations were involved in commissioners being against this referendum. By the end of the meeting, the vote for placing the referendum to consolidate on the fall ballot for voter consideration was eight votes for and nine against--a very close vote. The issue will probably now be dropped, according to Comm. Fritchey, as he felt this was the most opportune time.

As far as transparency at the Board meeting, with which this organization (LWVCC) is concerned, there were three substitute amendments distributed to commissioners at the last minute. The audience could not see these and clear explanations of the amendments were lacking. Even a few commissioners were unclear on what the amendments changed from the original proposals.

Submitted by Karin Hribar

Cook County Board Finance Committee Meeting February 14, 2012

There were not enough commissioners for a quorum.  Commissioners present:  Daley, Gorman, Sims, Suffredin, Garcia,  Fritchey, Tobolski, Gainer.  Ten were needed, eight were present.  Many of the absent commissioners apparently opposed the proposal to move the duties of the Office of the Recorder of Deeds to the County Clerk and abolishing the office.

State Representative Karen Yarborough (D-07), a Democratic candidate for Recorder of Deeds, was present with an aide, but did not speak.  She spoke with Clem Balinoff from David Orr’s office before the meeting, asking him reasons why he thought it was a good idea.  Fritchey praised her often as one of his most esteemed colleagues from his congressional days in Springfield.  

Although there was not a quorum, Daley wanted all those present who had signed up to speak, to do public testimony.

1)  First Jesse White, current IL Secretary of State, spoke.  He said that before he became Secretary of State, he had been Recorder of Deeds and in that office had generated increased revenue for Cook County.  He did a lot to streamline the computer systems.  He wants to keep the Recorder of Deeds office because it provides a good revenue stream, offers a good service to voters, and believes Cook County should keep it the way it is.

2)  Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation of Chicago, testified next.  The Civic Federations supports the referendum.  The proposal would be less costly and more efficient.  There is little policy debated in either the Recorder or the County Clerk’s offices – the offices are purely administrative.  $1 million savings per year could be realized and spent elsewhere.  All IL counties less than 60,000 people have combined offices.

LA county, the largest in the US, merged all functions into one site in 1968.  There were 160 million documents merged and put into one location.  By 1991 LA had fully merged the Recorder function.

Mr. Msall urged that Cook County just put the issue in front of voters.  The last time we did that was in the 1970s concerning elimination of the elected coroner’s office. 

Commissioner Sims responded and said that “Cook County was special”.  Just because other counties have merged the offices doesn’t mean that Cook County should do this.  “We don’t know what will happen with a merger”.  “We wasted money on contractors in the Cook County Hospital because the Civic Federation recommended an independent governors board.  We have spent millions hiring contractors and we shouldn’t have wasted the money”.

3)  Darlene Williams-Burnett spoke, from the Recorder of Deeds office.  She issued a dire warning that the Recorder's Office was “under repair” and that the county should proceed “with caution”.   The Recorder of Deeds office has reduced its budget by 50%, and has produced $347 million in the past six years.  It is the only viable lifeline for mortgage foreclosure issues.  She cautioned about the costs of retraining, that it may cost labor strife, and warned that they worked with public safety agencies to defeat criminals in the bank and financial agencies. She questioned the cost of retraining employees.  She said the Recorder of Deeds office was the final line between predatory lending and the consumer.

She claimed the office has consistently reduced its costs and now collects five times the revenue of its costs.  It operates as a “profitable small business”.  The projected savings has already been realized she claimed.  They operate a robust e-commerce site.  “We are restoring integrity to our database and defend property rights in Cook County”.

Com. Fritchey responded that the resolution does not single out any person and that it does not propose to eliminate any of the functions of the Recorder of Deeds office.  Ms. Williams-Burnett claimed that Cook County was unique in that it maintained a full legal description of all properties, and that other counties use title companies to keep track of their documents.  

4)  Clem Balinoff from David Orr’s office spoke.  He said that the resolution for a referendum had nothing to do with individuals but rather improved efficiency.  He proposed that consolidation of the two offices would combine 2 IT structures, 2 purchasing departments, two office spaces, and two supervisory staffs, resulting in savings of $1 million per year through permanent consolidation of staff.  He thought this could be achieved through attrition and no re-hiring. 

Mr. Balinoff has been at the County Clerk’s office for 15 years, during which time, the office has absorbed the City of Chicago’s bureau of vital statistics.  The county clerk’s office has increased revenues by $1 million with a total cost of two employees, handling all the responsibilities that Chicago once performed (badly).  A one year time frame for absorption of Recorder of Deeds duties should be very doable.  The county clerk’s office has never missed a deadline.

5) Adam Clement from the Bureau of Technology spoke.  His specialty has been in IT for Recorder of Deeds offices all over the country.  Despite Cook County saying they are unique, they utilize the same software as most other Registrar/Recorder offices around the country.  The transition would be smooth and aided by internal IT people.  A year’s timeframe to merge would be doable.  Mr. Clement was called to testify by Com. Fritchey.

Com. Fritchey gave his presentation.  LA county has only 8 elected officials while Cook County has 29, including the 17 commissioners.  The last time Cook County eliminated a position was in 1972 with the Coroner.  It is the right time now to continue consolidation.

Fritchey has not heard a constructive reason why not to do this referendum.  The time is now.  He said he knows that commissioners have been getting calls from influential people to table the resolution but that we owe it to the voters to let them decide.

Chair Daley will decide when to call this to the Finance Committee again.

--submitted by Amy Little

Nov. 9, 2011, Meetings on the Budget: Bureau of Human Resources & County Clerk

Bureau of Human Resources

The Director, Maureen O’Donnell, stated that the Bureau was in a shambles when she took over about 6 months ago, and since then, they have made great strides.  

• They are making progress in reaching compliance with the Shakman decree, which prohibits the hiring and firing of county workers for political reasons (other than in positions which the Court has specifically found to be “exempt”).
• The Bureau has presented 27 union contracts for Board approval to get caught up with the backlog of contracts covering periods from 2008 through the present. There are 104 bargaining units.  
• The Bureau is also focusing on absence management. The absence statistic is 10.5 days per year per employee, which is very high. The County could save $7 million per year if that average could be reduced by just one day, which Comm. Schneider highlighted in his questioning.  
• The Bureau is currently getting ready to deal with the proposed layoff of 1,000 employees that is called for under the 2012 proposed budget. 
•  Finally, Ms. O’Donnell said that the Bureau has a longer-term goal of creating a merit-based compensation system (at least for non-union employees) rather than the current step system, which is based on years of service.

Comm. Collins asked about the Taleo system that the Bureau is still implementing for processing applications on-line. A year ago, it took an average of 180 days to fill a position. Now it takes 124, which is still far more than where the County should be. Comm. Gainer urged that the Bureau include on its list of items in union negotiations reducing the number of holidays from the current 12 or 13 to the more standard 7; also to eliminate an employee's ability to carry over sick days and receive compensation for unused sick days when the employee leaves the County’s employ. She also asked about how the County can get to merit pay, and Ms. O’Donnell said the first step is to institute regular employee appraisals. Comm. Gainer also urged that the Bureau inform employees (as well as potential hires) about the value of their benefits, which are often much greater than in the private sector. Finally there was a discussion as to how much work the Bureau is still handling for the Health & Hospitals System (“HHS”), which Ms. O’Donnell characterized as still a lot. Comm. Gainer’s point was that the budget for human resource work in HHS is about $2.9 million and in this Bureau it is about $2.9 million; thus, it would seem that the HHS budget may be too large.

County Clerk

Clerk David Orr said that his area had exceeded the budgeted revenues for 2011 by about $400,000. For 2012, the election budget is $3.35 million lower than in 2008 (the last presidential election year), much of which is due to reducing the number of precincts. Clerk Orr said that his area had taken all the furlough days, and his employees were resentful of those departments which hadn’t. He also complained about other elected officials in the County who were paying much higher salaries to employees in grade 24 than he was. He feels the Board should look into this. Finally, he noted that his suburban offices were bringing in more revenues than in the past, and he is concerned that people will be discouraged from going there if the County institutes the proposed parking fees. He is also concerned about employees having to pay them.

-- reported by Priscilla Mims

CC Finance Committee Meeting on Proposed 2010 Budget, October 28, 2009: Cook County Clerk

The Cook County Clerk's Office budget is less than 2008 for elections due to consolidation of precincts in suburban Cook County. The corporate fund request is down due to the Clerk’s office taking over the handling of birth and death records from the City of Chicago, which results in additional fee revenues that more than cover the proposed increase in expenditures. The Clerk also touted that the “genealogy online” feature of the Clerk’s web site is very popular. And there is another new feature on the web site where property tax payers whose parcels are in a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district will be able to type in their pin numbers and find out how much of their property taxes are going into the TIF district. The Clerk’s office keeps track of all 430/440 TIF districts since this office is responsible for determining the EAV (equalized assessed valuation) for each taxing district and then calculating the tax rate for each district. Out of 1.8 million parcels, about 200,000 are in TIF districts.

Upon being questioned, Cook County Clerk David Orr stated that he favored consolidating the election functions of his office and the Chicago Board of Elections (whether under his office or a separate board) because it would make things less confusing for voters and it would save money.

--Submitted by Observer Pris Mims