Quigley Participates in Polling Place Training & Raises Awareness of Critical Election Security Resources

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, participated in a polling place training session, where new Judges of Election are trained to manage precinct polling places. Rep. Quigley observed the class training and hands-on practice before addressing and thanking the volunteers. The next local election will be held on Tuesday, February 26, when Chicagoans cast their vote in the primary election for the next mayor.

"Election Judges play a fundamental role in helping Americans exercise their most fundamental right: the right to vote," said Rep. Quigley. "As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees election assistance and a Member of the House Intelligence Committee investigating election interference, I understand the urgent need to ensure all election officials have the tools, resources, and support they need to safeguard our democratic process, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to see that training process firsthand. I thank the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, volunteers, and trainees for their efforts to ensure that Election Day goes smoothly and efficiently."

At the training sessions, Election Judges receive instructions on: properly setting up and securing the voting equipment and poll books before polls open; processing voters and their ballots during voting hours; and closing the polls, including the processes involved in documenting, tabulating and transmitting unofficial vote totals. The four-hour classes and accompanying handbooks are designed to cover a wide range of scenarios, including how and when to allow voters to receive assistance while voting and how to process new and updated voter registrations on Election Day.

In addition to the trainees, Rep. Quigley will be joined by officials from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, including Executive Director Lance Gough, who manages voter registration and election administration for 1.5 million voters.

"Our Judges of Election are the backbone of the electoral process. They serve in every community to help their fellow citizens exercise the right to vote," said Chicago Election Board Executive Director Lance Gough. "The Judges' preparations and services are vital to ensuring that our elections are fair, transparent, secure and accurate."

As the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Election Assistance Commission, Rep. Quigley secured $380 million in new FY18 grants, including $13.2 million for Illinois, to replace outdated voting infrastructure and equip election officials with the training they need to protect the voting process. In 2018, he introduced the bipartisan Prevent Election Hacking Act of 2018 to help combat the threat of election hacking by creating a competition that rewards cyber experts who are able to identify vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure. Rep. Quigley has also urged President Trump to immediately appoint an Election Security Coordinator within the Executive Office of the President (EOP) to oversee and organize election security efforts across the federal government.