DuPage County Board Officially Proposes Merger Between Clerk's Office, Election Commission

Together with DuPage County Clerk Paul Hinds and Election Commission Chairwoman Cathy Ficker Terrill, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin officially proposed a merger between the county clerk’s office and Election Commission on Tuesday.

According to a release from the county, the new plan would “merge the functions of the two offices while maintaining and increasing the independent bipartisan oversight that offers public access to the decisions made regarding election policy.” The county assured residents in the release that the new merged governance model will increase efficiency, transparency and accountability.

The proposal is available for public viewing online.

The merger was proposed with the goal of saving money and slashing unnecessary governmental bodies while still maintaining the individual nature of the Election Commission. Under the proposed new model, the Election Commission would be consolidated into an Election Division within the clerk’s office.

“Merging the functions of two county offices that experience a high volume of public inquiries and interactions on a daily basis allows for a smoother customer experience, eliminates redundancy and increases efficiency,” Cronin said in the release.

Cronin also said his proposal would create a five-member Board of Election Commissioners which would be responsible for setting election policies, holding public meetings and receiving public comments. To tie the two currently separate entities together even more, the county clerk would serve as chairman of that board.

Hinds said in the release that residents will benefit from the merge, too, since it will provide “one-stop shopping” for its patrons. People would be able to run more errands in one single trip, since the clerk’s office and Election Commission deal with such similar topics.

Ficker Terrill emphasized the bipartisan nature of the plan.

“An integral part of all of our discussions has been the need to retain and enhance both political parties’ representation within the Election Commission,” she said in the release. “I believe all voters are well-served in DuPage County under this proposal.”

Residents are able to give the DuPage County Board their thoughts on the plan through the county’s website. They’re also encouraged to let the county know their comments and concerns in person. A public hearing will be held around 11 a.m. Jan. 10.

“I believe this proposal fulfills our commitment to increase accountability, consolidate functions where it makes sense and improve transparency for our residents,” Cronin said. “There is no higher priority for us than ensuring an open, efficient and accessible election system in DuPage County.”

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