Reply #9: IL: Macon County short of election judges [View All]

Macon County short of election judges

March 3, 2006

By RON INGRAM - H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR - Increasing computer technology in polling places is worrying many older election judges, who are opting out of working the March 21 primary election, leaving Macon County Clerk Steve Bean scrambling to find replacements.

After working throughout the evening Tuesday at his office in an effort to fill the vacancies and having little success, Bean said Wednesday he is asking the county board to increase the pay for the 435 election judges for the first time since 1998. He said a little extra money may help recruit the people he needs.

snip

"We're at a point where it is getting more and more technical to work an election, and a lot of judges who have done it for 30 years are opting out," Bean said. "This year, without having to deal with absentee ballots at the polling places, things will go quicker."

snip

"We need more technologically advanced judges," he said.

snip

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2006/03/03/news/local_news/1013474.txt