A Rock Island voter videotaped what happened when he tried to vote for a Republican candidate
By Ulysses Arn -
ROCK ISLAND - Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney told KWQC TV that people raising the issue of voting machines in her county repeatedly switching votes for Republican candidates to Democrat votes is "voter suppression". The clerk said they're addressing the issue.
"That's our priority to make sure that everyone's vote counts and we will continue to do so," said County Clerk Karen Kinney.
She said they've received minimal complaints about touch-screen issues and have addressed them. Kinney said they've re-calibrated the machine in question.
"They should dismiss their fears. I feel like this is just a very small group of people targeting us and it's all about voter suppression," she said. "They want to discourage people from voting, do not let that affect your vote. Come on out and vote, your vote is safe. It will be counted."
Republican congressional candidate Bobby Schilling said two dozen people notified his campaign about voting machines in Rock Island County switching their votes.
Voting complaints started shortly after early voting began. Earlier this week, Kinney was challenged in court by the Rock Island Republican party for opening absentee ballots ahead of election day. A county judge sided with the clerk Monday. But that judge's ruling contradicts Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who encouraged all election officials in Illinois to wait until the polls close on Election Day to open absentee ballots.
In the wake of the Rock Island video, Schilling in a press conference called for all of the voting machines in Rock Island county to be recalibrated or taken out of service and use paper ballots exclusively.
Ulysses S. Arns is a citizen journalist in west central Illinois.
