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Growing up in Illinois, we grow up knowing the value of our vote is suspect. It is in the genetic pool.

Imagine the powers to be in Illinois – making decisions, however they do, as they confer about election integrity wearing their halos of concern for the value of each and every vote. Naturally, they set up laws that specify security protocols to protect our vote! Puffing up clouds of smoke, they make sections that override other portions of sections, and plop it down for local election jurisdictions and their legal experts to figure out.  Then, no one watches.  Enforce security?  Who has that job? (Continues)

Why does this matter? When the public was sold electronic voting, we were promised that it would be safe and secure. We were promised that security measures would prevent any problems. We were told; ‘Trust us, don’t worry about it…’ The cynic said; ‘Ya know, implementation in the field is always different then the State House back room assurances’. Today, the cynic’s voice rules.

Defend the Vote believes one primary place to secure the ballot, is to start with security protocols. Frankly, to realize just how UNLAWFULLY Cook County is conducting elections took me by surprise.

As a brief aside, please do forgive the post from yesterday. I was up all night for two nights in the election flurry, pulling together and absorbing research from a couple of places. On Sunday night, I had to decide to post or hold until after the election. Obviously, no lawyer would go to court at the last minute… I felt the issue was important enough that it needed to be out BEFORE the election, and the only way to accomplish that was to post research as my notes. I delivered it that way too. These legal eagles get it. They are paid to find out if they don’t...

The delivery of the message yesterday, I’ll discuss in detail another day, but suffice it to say... No one seemed to be responsible. I literally had to force the Illinois State Board of Elections to accept the information about Cook County's elections, who they supervise. Can you believe it? They had to call Springfield just to get permission to give me a receipt…. They were not the only ones slamming doors.

Hysterically, each authority as they tried to shoo me away, (ie pass the buck) said… “Have you gone to David’s Orr Office?”

“Oh sure” I said. “The Clerk told me they were a busy office, and he would find time some time before the end of the day to deliver my letter to some guy in the administrative chain.” This is how I was ‘handled’ there!

The truth is, David Orr is a ghost in his office, impossible to speak to.

I learned quite a bit from visiting all of these legal authorities yesterday.

Why the rush for yesterday? Suffice it to say for now this fact reigns: This WAS a Cook County issue, now it belongs to the following legal authorities in the State of Illinois: United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Illinois States Attorney Lisa Madigan, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, David Orr from Cook County Elections and Steve Sandvoss at the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Each one of these government authorities has a say in Illinois elections. They ALL have been told; Cook County FAILS to lawfully conduct elections and they fail to lawfully secure the ballot in Illinois. Today, the elections open. Will they ignore the facts?

I can verify, your ballot is not secure nor is it not being lawfully administered in Cook County, Illinois.

Will any of these election authorities take responsibility today to assure that steps are taken to secure the ballot?

What can they do today?
1) Seal the memory devices and machines after voting.
2) Before they open the polls this morning; they open the ballot box as the law requires.
3) Properly secure, wrap and seal your voted ballots as the law requires at the precinct.

Are you surprised I had to crash through doors to get them opened just enough to get the authorities to take my document? I bet not.

I will take a second post to re-write my notes from yesterday. For now, I don’t want to editorialize too much except to say, David Orr has been in charge long enough, he KNOWS Illinois election law. These various authorities given notice yesterday KNOW the law. Why do I have to stay up all night to discover Illinois doesn’t bother to assure our elections are at least lawful, let alone corruption free?

Thursday, join me at the Election Law Hearing in Springfield.

And please vote, even in Cook County!