LaSalle County clerk outlines April election preparations, voter-registration system bid and judge pay options

The LaSalle County Clerk (name not specified) told the Tax/Zones/GIS Committee on March 18 that preparations for the April consolidated election are on track but the office still needs dozens of election judges and has received a single bid for a new voter-registration system.

The clerk said roughly half of vote-by-mail ballots sent for the election have been returned and that three vote-by-mail judges have been busy verifying signatures and processing ballots. She described the physical logistics of delivering and retrieving polling equipment and said several township officials have agreed to store and move equipment for some precincts.

The clerk told the committee that Liberty Systems (representative: Alex) submitted the lone bid for a new voter-registration system and that the bid shows a total payment for a one-year 2025 contract of about $181,000. She said the county expects the state IVRS grant to cover conversion costs, installation and license fees, but that she will confirm exact budget and grant details with the state's attorney and in next month’s packet.

Why it matters: the clerk said the county’s current voter-registration software dates to 2006 and that a conversion is planned so the office can complete a federally required voter-roll “merge” mailing this summer and be ready for the 2026 cycle. She told the committee she intends to start conversion no later than June if the bid and grant approvals proceed.

Committee members asked whether the vendor has implemented the system in other Illinois counties; the clerk and Alex said Liberty’s system (used with partner vendors) is already in place in about a dozen Illinois counties, including Putnam, Whiteside, Stephenson, Bureau, Vermilion, McDonough (McCoupin in bid list), Bond, Mason, DeWitt, Boone, Ogle and Will (Will County uses the system through a partner). The clerk said she has applied for the IVRS grant and expects conversion costs to be eligible for reimbursement but will provide exact figures next month.

On staffing, the clerk said the office needs between 40 and 102 judges depending on whether it staffs to the statutory standard (one judge from each major party plus an additional judge for the precinct’s designated party). She said the county currently has about 75,500 registered voters (the transcript later lists 145,548; the clerk clarified “just over 75,500” during discussion) and that two to three staff members from her office will handle equipment delivery and pickup unless township officials volunteer.

Judge pay and recruitment: committee members debated raising election-judge pay to attract workers. The clerk said the board previously corrected an error raising base pay from $1.75 to $1.85 (as recorded in the meeting transcript) and that the state will reimburse up to $65 per judge per day but will not cover more than that. Committee members suggested multiple options: incremental increases (to $2.15–$2.40 as discussed in the meeting transcript using the clerk’s framing), a raise to $2.25, or higher daily/hourly approaches discussed informally (some committee members suggested $20 per hour or $225–$300 per judge for a long day). The clerk asked the committee to indicate a target so she can run budget estimates for the finance committee next month; she said any change to pay would need a resolution and should be approved by the full board so it can be included properly in the 2026 budget.

The clerk also summarized other election operations: early-voting and vote-by-mail processing staff are paid hourly (minimum wage as stated for those roles), the office pays $20 for class attendance and $10 for passing the test when judges work on election day, and mileage or $10 supply-day/return-day stipends are provided in some circumstances. The clerk said training sessions are running the week of the meeting and that hands-on classes have been well received by judges.

Formal actions: the committee approved a motion to place the county clerk’s report on file and later approved a motion to pay the county clerk’s bills; both motions carried without recorded opposition.

Ending: the clerk said she will bring back detailed budget scenarios for several pay options, a final grant/reimbursement figure for the voter-registration bid and any clarifications from the state and the state’s attorney at next month’s meeting.