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Local city secretaries urge Cook County to create elections administrator; commissioners debate budget impact
Summary
City secretaries from Gainesville and Kalisburg urged Cook County commissioners to create a dedicated elections administrator to centralize election operations. Commissioners discussed the request at length during the FY26 budget hearing but took no formal action, noting funding and staffing trade-offs.
City secretaries from two municipalities asked Cook County commissioners on July 28 to create a county elections administrator to centralize election operations and ease an upcoming transition in the county clerk's office. Diane Alcala, city secretary for the City of Gainesville, and Melinda Medford, city secretary for the City of Kalisburg, told the court the role would provide consistent oversight for voter registration, poll worker training, ballot preparation and centralized early-voting locations.
The request came during the public comment period and was followed by an extended discussion during the court's FY26 budget hearing. Commissioners and county election staff described the possible workload, likely costs and trade-offs — but did not vote to create the position. County Clerk Pam Harrison and other election staff described the…
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