22 FOR '22, TEAM JEAN!
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE UNDER JEAN'S LEADERSHIP
Vote Anywhere! In 2022, DuPage became the FIRST county in Illinois where a voter could cast a ballot on Election Day at any polling place throughout the county. Nearly 13,000 voters in the County cast ballots outside their home polling places on June 28th. DuPage County had the highest voter turnout in the region for the 2022 Primary Election!
Purchased New Voting Equipment with 100% Paper Ballots! The most secure, transparent and user-friendly system replaced the 20-year-old machines. Hart Verity is never connected to the internet, so it cannot be hacked. DuPage became the FIRST county in the state to have a complete print-on-demand system which reduces wasteful pre-printing of ballots. The County Board unanimously approved the funding.
Doubled Early Voting Sites Since 2018! Twenty-two Early Voting sites are spread evenly throughout DuPage County, including areas previously under-served.
Developed a Robust Mail Ballot System! In an extremely tight period of four months during 2020, applications were mailed to all registered voters, drop boxes were installed, a new mail sorter was acquired, postage-paid envelopes were issued with all mail ballots, and ballot tracking was launched to accommodate over 180,000 mail ballot voters in 2020. In 2022, DuPage became the FIRST county in Illinois where voters could sign up for permanent vote-by-mail automatically online.
Bought New KNOWink Poll Pads for Voter Check-Ins! Now voter check-ins and verifications on Election Day are fast, reliable, accurate and secure. Election judges LOVE THEM! The County Board approved the funding unanimously.
Successfully Conducted Five Elections since 2019! When the rest of the world was shutting down for COVID, the DuPage County Clerk's office administered the 2020 Primary Election admirably, then went on to oversee the 2020 General Election with the highest voter turnout in DuPage County history -- nearly half a million voters! DuPage County elections are now a model for the state.
Nearly Doubled Election Judge Pay after No Pay Increase for Two Decades! Election judges are the department's most precious resource; elections cannot happen without them. Now they're finally being compensated fairly.
Replaced All Non-Secure Desktops and Laptops! Windows 7 desktops and laptops were all replaced in 2019 with Windows 10 for the entire office. All staff are routinely trained on the latest cybersecurity measures.
Receiving $734,000 in Grants to Improve the DuPage Fairgrounds Parking Lot! This year, a portion of the Fairgrounds' parking lot was newly paved with a $149,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Elections for polling place improvements. Another $585,000 grant was recently approved for additional parking lot work to begin in 2023.
Partnered with Departments to Implement New Property Tax Software! With the Treasurer's Office and the Supervisor of Assessments Office, our office has worked diligently on the decision-making and ongoing implementation of the new Tyler software to assist with over 330,000 property tax calculations. The new software will replace the existing CoBol system.
Never Stopped Issuing Marriage Licenses During the Pandemic! The office made appointments to accommodate couples from surrounding counties calling and begging for help. Marriage license forms were made available online during COVID.
Initiated Candidate Petition Workshops! With the long-term goal of reducing the number of costly and preventable objection hearings, the County Clerk's Office began holding workshops in 2019 to educate potential candidates on petition preparation, signature gathering and filing process. In 2022, DuPage had ZERO candidate objections at a time when counties all over the state were facing many! A Daily Herald editorial stated that more counties should follow DuPage's model!
Improved Day One Candidate Filing! In 2019, the office created a new process for candidates to file their petitions, which is much faster, more efficient and more humane! Democrats and Republicans agree!
Conducted Three Full Voter Verifications to Update Database Since 2019! After years of no complete update of the voter registration database, three voter verifications were completed with a fourth scheduled after the 2022 General Election.
Partnered with Law Enforcement! The County Clerk's office provided names and addresses of at-risk individuals during COVID. Turns out, the office has the most up-to-date information on DuPage citizens.
Purchased Two Commercial-Grade Electronic Embossers and Acquired Two High-Speed Canon Photocopiers! The new embossers replaced the cast-iron circa 1918 clunkers used to certify over 60,000 documents annually. The previous copiers were so old that parts were no longer available and service was called nearly daily during peak season for futile "maintenance". A new folding machine was also purchased to complement the photocopiers.
Worked with the Illinois State Archives to Preserve Historic Records! The office initiated "Project Judy" to preserve and protect some of our oldest and most precious documents and books.
No More Windows 2003 Server for Election Tabulation! The server infrastructure for elections was upgraded to a state-of-the-art system. The office has worked closely with state and federal agencies to conduct penetration testing and risk assessments to keep elections secure.
Purchased the Office's First Box Truck! For the first time, the office can haul equipment throughout the year instead of always renting. A new suburban was also acquired, replacing a 20-year-old model, and is used daily by staff.
Threw Out Every "Out of Order" Sign Throughout the Office! That's because all the equipment the signs were attached to were finally replaced -- some had been there YEARS before Jean came into office.
Successfully Merged the County Clerk's Office with the Election Commission! With no transition or implementation plan, the two offices were merged on the fly six weeks after Jean took office in 2018 in the middle of an election cycle. For the first time in 45 years, the Clerk's office was running elections again.
Successfully Stabilized the County Clerk's Office! Aside from nearly every piece of equipment needing replacement, the office was dramatically understaffed and underpaid. Given the proper resources, the staff shines and serves the citizens excellently.