Tazewell County secures $100,000 federal grant to repave Marquette Heights polling lot and add lighting

Tazewell County Clerk John Acuran announced at a press conference that his office secured a $100,000 federal grant to repave the parking lot at the Marquette Heights municipal building and add lighting to improve accessibility at the town’s polling facility. “Our office takes deep pride in being able to have this done,” Acuran said, explaining that the work addresses potholes, loose gravel and standing water that previously made access difficult for some voters.

The mayor of Marquette Heights, who spoke but did not give his name in the transcript, said the improvements “came in on budget” and praised the project as a safety and community benefit, noting the municipal building also houses the library, police and fire services and sits adjacent to a skate park.

Officials said the federal program that funded the work is targeted at polling-place accessibility. Acuran described the county’s approach: municipal officials identify projects, obtain bids, and his office advocates to the Illinois State Board of Elections and other pass-through entities to secure the federal funds. He said the federal grant paid the full cost of the Marquette Heights project and that the county routinely seeks similar awards for other government-owned polling locations.

Acuran listed other recent awards he said were secured for local facilities, including a $25,000 door-improvement grant for a community center referred to in the transcript as “Crecore” and an $80,000 parking-lot project in “Meno.” He said about $256,000 in federal accessibility grants was returned to the county this year and that, since 2021, the county has received more than $750,000 in federal accessibility funding.

The county also used grant funds to purchase new voting booths designed to present touchscreen monitors at an accessible height and to print paper ballots that are counted as the official record. “The touchscreen is actually just filling in the circle for you … it still prints a paper ballot and that paper ballot is all that is counted,” Acuran said, adding that the units include braille and other accommodations for voters with sensory or dexterity impairments.

City officials described the practical challenges of the project: coordinating contractor bids and site surveys, keeping municipal vehicles and emergency apparatus accessible during construction, and sequencing work so the contractor could complete the paving while services continued. Alderman Cy, identified as the city’s buildings and parks chair, invited residents to suggest future accessibility improvements such as additional handicap parking or accessible picnic tables.

No formal vote or municipal action was recorded at the press conference. Officials said they plan to continue to seek federal grants for other polling locations and encouraged local governments with eligible projects to apply.