Home Delivery |
Contact Us |
Jobs |
Alerts |
News Archives |
Site map |
Log In |
Webmail |
Internet Services |
Mobile
Text size: 
Eligible voter counts questioned in Rock Island, Mercer counties
Comment on this story |
Print this story | Email this story
By Stephen Elliott, selliott@qconline.com
By Stephen Elliott, selliott@qconline.com
|
Rock Island and Mercer counties are two of 14 Illinois counties with more registered voters than actual eligible voters, according to a study by the State Board of Elections. The report says the disparity was revealed by comparing the number of registered voters in each county to the number of people listed in the 2010 Census as being older than 18 and eligible to vote. Rock Island County lists 125,875 registered voters, although Census numbers show the county has only 114,359 residents age 18 or older. That means 11,516 people may be deceased or no longer live in the county, according to Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney. The report also shows Mercer County has 14,295 registered voters, while Census numbers show the county has only 12,714 residents age 18 or older. "We have to purge our records sometime this summer," Mercer County Clerk Phyllis Bewley said. "There may be various reasons why the numbers gathered by the Census Bureau did not reflect everyone." Ms. Kinney, who hasn't seen the report, said her office also plans to purge voter registration files but is waiting until the county board redistricting is completed. "We're required to issue out new voter registration cards to everybody after redistricting. It didn't make sense to do it before redistricting." Ms. Kinney said two reasons for more registered voters than residents old enough to vote are deaths or people moving. "People move out of Rock Island County and nobody notifies us," Ms. Kinney said. "People die and no one notifies us. Those voters stay on file for two federal elections. "We put them in an inactive file. We don't know if they've passed away, if they've moved," she said. "We have no idea." Ms. Kinney said there are tens of thousands of registered voters in the county who may no longer live in the county or are deceased. Ms. Bewley said the discrepancy doesn't mean any foul play has taken place. "As far as people voting from cemeteries, no, that's not what it means," she said. Other counties with more registered voters than actual eligible voters are Alexander, Clark, Clinton, Hardin, Jasper, Massac, Menard, Ogle, Pulaski, Richland, Stark and Vermilion.Bernadette Harrington, legal counsel for the ISBE in Springfield said it has sent letters to jurisdictions. "We have a dialogue to review what they've submitted," she said. 
|
 |
|
||
Colona, IL Details |
|||
Christmas Trees
(More recipes)
| (More Print Ads) |
Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: On Monday the 11th inst. on Center Ridge in Mercer County,some citizens got out their cannon to celebrate the taking of Richmond. The gun wasoverloaded and burst. No one was injured, but one 30-pound piece went though thesecond story of a house.
1888 -- 125 years ago: The old folks concert at the Harper Theater last night to benefit St.Luke's Cottage Hospital, attracted a large audience.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Unless depredation by vandals in Rock Island parks is halted,special policemen will be assigned to night duty to protect the flowers and other property.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Station WHBF has received a special citation from Washington forits participation in Air Mail Week, which was observed this week throughout the nation.
1963 -- 50 years ago: A 10-year high in employment in the Quad-City area was reachedat the end of the last quarter, according to an industrial employment barometer releasedtoday.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Pee Wee teams will be able to play baseball and softball as usualon Diamond Three at Dorrance Park this summer, but after that, the ball field is doomed.County crews have put the diamond back in shape after heavy trucks marred the playingfield earlier this spring. Illinois Department of Transportation crews drove onto it to makeborings for the relocation of the junction of Illinois 84 and the Port Byron-Hillsdale road.
(More History)