Clerk Gordon, Krishnamoorthi and Voting Rights Leaders Highlight Election Security Ahead of November Vote (Cook County, IL) – Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon welcomed U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and several Illinois voting rights leaders to the Cook County Election Operations Center on Tuesday to highlight the security measures, technology and preparations in place ahead of the November election.
The visit offered a firsthand look at the operations center, where the Cook County Clerk’s Office monitors and manages election activities for more than 1.7 million registered voters in suburban Cook County.
Gordon led the group on a tour of the facility before participating in a roundtable discussion focused on election security, protections for voting by mail, recent postal service changes affecting mail ballots and pending federal legal challenges involving mail voting.
“Our Elections team has been preparing for this election for months, and we want voters to understand that the security of their ballot is built into every step of the process,” Gordon said.
“Voting by mail is not a shortcut around the safeguards that protect our elections. It is a secure, established voting option that is governed by state law and subject to multiple checks throughout the process.”
Joining Gordon and Krishnamoorthi were Becky Simon, president of the League of Women Voters of Illinois; Christian Harris, Illinois state director of Common Cause; and Ed Yohnka, director of public policy for the ACLU of Illinois.
A central focus of the event was the introduction of new Smart Ballot Drop Boxes that will be available at all 56 Early Voting locations in suburban Cook County during the November election.
According to the Clerk’s Office, the new drop boxes include built-in surveillance cameras, tamper-resistant construction and enhanced ballot-tracking technology. The features are intended to provide additional security while allowing voters greater visibility into the handling of their ballots after they are deposited.
The drop boxes also offer voters an alternative to returning mail ballots through the U.S. Postal Service, an option Gordon said has become increasingly important following changes to USPS postmarking procedures.
The Clerk encouraged voters who choose to return ballots by mail to do so early. Voters may also use one of the secure drop boxes to avoid uncertainty over postmark timing, according to the Clerk’s Office.
Gordon also urged residents to seek election information directly from their local election authority as misinformation and rumors circulate in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
“There is going to be a lot said between now and November, and not all of it will be accurate,” Gordon said. “If you see something that concerns you, go directly to your local election authority before you share something online or assume that a rumor is true.”
Clerk Gordon, Krishnamoorthi and Voting Rights Leaders Highlight Election Security Ahead of November Vote
