ELECTION DAY IS ALMOST HERE

A host of municipal and township clerks from across Cook County and Lyons Township
recently gathered at Town Hall in Countryside for a primer on the two upcoming election cycles.

The workshop was presented by Cook County Elections Director Jan Kralovec and Illinois State Board of Elections counsel Kenneth Menzel.

The group was hosted by Township Supervisor Pat Rogers, Trustee Russ Hartigan and Clerk Mary Jo Noonan, all of Western Springs.

Hartigan, a Democrat, has made it clear he intends to run for supervisor in April 2009, but only if also-Dem Rogers is elected to a judgeship in Cook County's 4th Subcircuit on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Kralovec, who works under County Clerk David Orr, said the Nov. 4 ballot will feature a statewide advisory referenda calling for a Constitutional Convention for the first time since 1970, federal, state, county and judicial races ... a grand a total of 312 "ballot swipes" in all.

In La Grange, Park District voters will be casting a yes or no on an advisory referenda question asking whether the Park Board should sell 2.82 acres of land in Gordon Park to a private developer, Atlantic Realty Partners, for a mixed use residential/retail development at La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue -- site of the still-standing former Rich Port YMCA,

In addition to seven presidential candidates -- from the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, New, Constitution, Independent and Green parties -- there will be a U.S. Senate race between incumbent Rep. Richard Durbin, D-Il. and four opponents; one-third of state Senate seats; all state representatives; the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District as well as the County state's attorney, circuit court clerk, recorder and Board of Review.

There will also be a countywide referenda proposing a right to recall five state constitutional officers and 71 retention judgeships on two full pages of the ballot.

This fall and next year voters can choose between the optical scan or paper ballot, or the touch screen machine to cast their votes.

A recent survey commissioned by the county showed 61 percent of suburban voters overwhelmingly preferred the touch screen method.

"The big word for November is numbers, or volume," said Kralovec, noting this is the sixth election using the new equipment. "The big challenge is that any voters who haven't voted since the last presidential election are going to be surprised they won't be able to vote unless they've re-registered."

This year, Cook County is not in short supply of election judges.

It is employing some 20,000 high school students this fall and there are even some judges they cannot place who will be used as backups in the case of no-shows.

Judges are paid a generous $170 or more for the day.

Menzel said access state election rules and ballot information is available online and in print.

For instance, the Green Party is now an established party "at every level of government" just like the two major parties, in Illinois.

The standard filing deadline for April township and municipal races (listen La Grange Citzens' Council) and referenda will be from Jan. 19 to 26, 2009, with the objection period to follow.

So stay tuned, people, the silly season is not over yet.