LaSalle County clerk warns voters about USPS postmark changes; committee keeps judge-training pay at $30 for now
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Summary
County Clerk Jennifer told the Taxes, Election & GIS Committee that USPS processing changes could delay postmarks and urged voters to hand ballots inside; the committee discussed pull-pad rollout and training and agreed to keep election-judge training pay at $20 plus a $10 test stipend through the coming election.
County Clerk Jennifer told the LaSalle County Taxes, Election & GIS Committee that changes in U.S. Postal Service processing could delay postmarks on ballots dropped in outside collection boxes, and she urged voters who want their ballots postmarked by election day to take them inside a post office to be stamped.
The clerk said the office will still count ballots received within 14 days if they bear a postmark dated on or before election day, but warned that ballots dropped in exterior drop boxes on or near election day may not be postmarked until several days later. The warning came as the clerk described preparations for the upcoming elections: training on new pull-pad devices starts the week of the meeting, early voting and the first vote-by-mail mailing are scheduled to begin Feb. 5, 2026, and election-judge training classes start Feb. 6.
Why it matters: The clerk said the pull pads are intended to simplify set-up and provide on-device instructions and messaging to reduce calls to the office on election day, which could improve precinct operations. The county reported roughly 339–340 judges signed up since the last full board meeting, but the clerk said more recruitment is still needed to meet staffing targets of about four judges per precinct.
Committee debate focused on compensation and policy for judges' training pay. The clerk outlined current practice and budget assumptions: the office pays $20 for class attendance and $10 for the test, and election-day pay recently discussed by the board was left unchanged. Members discussed whether pay-eligibility rules should be set in an ordinance by the County Board (the state's attorney said the board sets compensation) or as an office policy. The clerk agreed to draft a written policy and consult the state's attorney.
Outcome and next steps: Committee members decided to leave the training and test pay at current levels (class $20, test $10) for the upcoming election and revisit the matter after the election. The clerk also said she will provide more detail to the committee in the coming month and will incorporate pull-pad training materials and short instructional videos for judges.