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Cook County, Chicago Bears train high school students to run early voting sites
Summary
A new partnership between the Cook County Clerk's Office and the Chicago Bears trains students from two dozen Cook County high schools to serve as election judges at on-campus early voting sites, officials said at an event at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.
Cook County and a private partner launched a program this week to train high school students to operate early voting sites at their schools, officials announced at an event at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.
The initiative, a partnership between the Cook County Clerk's Office and the Chicago Bears organization, will certify students from 24 Cook County schools as election judges after completion of this week’s training, expanding early voting access ahead of the gubernatorial primary in March, officials said.
The event included remarks from a partnership representative, who said, “The Bears are lighting it up on a field, but what's just as important is the work that they do off the field.” The speaker drew an analogy between football and elections, saying strong elections “depend on people who show up, learn their roles, and work together to get it right.”
Event presenters emphasized the hands-on nature of the instruction. “What you're taking part in today is not a simulation. It's not a class exercise,” the speaker said, describing that students will learn how voters check in, how ballots are handled and how voting equipment is operated, then put that training into action by staffing early voting inside their schools.
The report also thanked the Cook County Clerk's Office and noted the leadership of Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, saying her office plays an important role in ensuring elections are accessible, accurate and well administered and that the program gives students an opportunity to learn directly from the clerk's office.
Officials framed the effort as both a civic-engagement opportunity for young people and a practical step to expand early voting access in advance of a high-turnout primary. After training, students will serve as official election judges at early voting sites hosted at their schools.
The event concluded with applause for the student participants. No formal vote or policy change was recorded at the event; it was a training-launch announcement and demonstration of the partnership's goals.
