LaSalle County election officials told the Taxes, Elections & GIS Committee on Oct. 21 they are weighing increases to election judge pay and training fees ahead of 2026, saying higher pay could improve recruitment while cautioning that a large immediate hike would strain the county’s budget.

“...if we let them know, hey, this is where we need them. Need a little bit more help from you guys. That's what part of your statute says is your position to do,” the elections official, identified in the meeting as Jen, said in describing planned conversations with party chairs.

Jen told the committee petition filings for candidates begin Oct. 27, early voting in the county will begin Feb. 5 and the voter‑registration (VR) system blackout for final state testing is expected to last about three weeks in late October–November.

The most substantive discussion focused on pay. Jen explained recent incremental increases and why the office sought a larger rise this year: the county sought to increase base per‑diem pay partly to capture the larger state reimbursement. She said the state reimbursement to counties for election judges is $65 per day. Jen said she favors a base per‑diem of $225 and that $250 would be the absolute maximum she would support; some full‑board members had earlier voted to set the base at $300 but the chairman did not sign that version.

“I would like to...let you guys know I am in the most favor of going to the $225, which is a $40 increase,” Jen told the committee. She added that the $250 figure would be “the absolute most” (a $65 increase from the prior base mentioned during the discussion).

Members questioned fiscal impacts. One committee member noted the county auditor projects a roughly $3.7 million deficit for the 2026 budget and urged caution about large pay increases. Another member argued election judges perform long days and that higher pay is “money well spent” to ensure sufficient staffing.

Jen proposed another lever: modestly increase the training (class) fee to encourage attendance. Under the current structure judges receive a daily base plus a one‑time class payment and $10 per test; the office suggested raising the class payment (commonly $20) to incentivize attendance and improve preparedness.

Committee members discussed logistics and statutory constraints. One member noted state reimbursement is a per‑diem amount and the statute contemplates a standard workday tied to a daily payment; payroll by the day is simpler for state reimbursement and longstanding local practice.

The committee did not adopt a new pay rate at the meeting. Jen said she will meet with party chairs to discuss recruitment needs and training participation and will return to the full county board with recommendations.