Thanks for the ideas that have been posted. The first issue I’d like to address is voter ID cards.

First I want to point out that no one needs a voter ID card in order to vote on election day. We’ve had this question over the years and it is one of our Frequently Asked Questions in the voter guide my office issues.

We have procedures in place to make sure that every valid registration application results in a new voter ID card being sent out. An employee in my office takes a stack of voter registration applications (both new registrations and address changes) and enters the information into our voter database. (In another post I’ll explain how complicated this process is.) Each time a voter is registered and each time their address information is changed, the computer automatically prints out a new voter ID card. The person who entered the voter registration information into the computer takes those voter registration applications and the voter ID cards and gives them to another individual. That person proofs the ID cards to make sure that information was entered correctly and that all the voter registration applications have a corresponding voter ID card. The “proofer” then puts the voter ID cards with the outgoing mail which is handled by a combination of county administrative staff and a mail house.

So why do so many people say they didn’t have a card sent to them?

Here are possible reasons that I see.

The voter received a card and didn’t realize it. Our voter ID cards are postcards. Some people may be expecting a card to show up in an envelope. As a postcard it may have slipped inside a magazine or sale flyer. We use a postcard for speed and cost savings.

The postcard gets lost in the mail before arriving at the home. Once the postcard leaves our office we can not control how long it takes to get to the voter or whether it ever gets there.

The voter ID card gets destroyed in the mail. This has happened rarely. When the destroyed card is returned to us, if we can discern which voter it was, we mail out a new card.

The address given by the voter was insufficient. If a voter forgets to put down an apartment number or dorm address or puts an incorrect city, they may not receive a voter ID card.

For security and fraud protection, voter registration information which is mailed out is marked Return Service Requested. If the post office does not have the voter as a resident at the address listed on the voter registration application, the voter ID card will be returned.

The voter registered in another county. We have had voters contact us and ask about their registration and we look at our records and learn they filled out a form for another county.

Someone else in the household mishandled the card. Many students live with roommates. It may be that a roommate threw the voter card away or misplaced it.

The voter registration was rejected. In another post I will address why registration applications may get rejected.

The ID card may be in the mail. Sometimes the ID card has been sent out weeks after the voter registered. This may have happened for a number of reasons (yet another topic for later).

We receive a number of calls about voter ID cards not showing up. However, it doesn’t appear to us that the number is as large as the ‘street’ talk suggests. Any voter who says they didn’t receive a card can call our office any time to receive a new card.

I think this is also a good opportunity to promote the feature on our website which allows voters to check their registration status on line. This feature has allowed many people to find out that they are registered.

I hope this clarifies a little more the process whereby voter ID cards are mailed out.

There are a number of things that I’d like to post about in the next few weeks including new legislation and new voting equipment. However, I think an initial step might be to open up to readers any suggestions of ideas they would like me to examine in this forum. I’ve already seen some comments about campus voting and that will certainly be one idea that we will explore here.

Please post suggestions of issues for me to address. Make them specific and talk about specific examples. It does little good to post a vague question like “Why is it so tough to vote?” I’ll let posters know if a suggestion isn’t specific enough for me to address, so that the poster can follow up with a more specific issue.

I’m looking forward to some interesting discussion topics.

Welcome to the Champaign County Clerk blog. I think this a natural outgrowth of our efforts to communicate with the public about election issues. It also is a great way to solicit input from the public about our election process with the hope of continuing to improve it.

This blog will focus on changes in election laws, improvements to how we conduct elections in Champaign County, and educating the public about current topics in elections here locally. I think this has an opportunity to be a great forum for our community that will lead to greater understanding of elections, and greater participation in the process as a whole.

In starting this blog, it is imperative that I make everyone aware that blogging can not be, and will not be, the focus of my day. While I will monitor the blog routinely, if it becomes something that takes too much of my time, I will simply not be able to continue with it.

I have great faith in our community and feel that the blog and those who post here will become a valuable component to an active and knowledgeable electorate. I’ll look forward to the comments of people as we move forward into the blog world.