PEORIA, Ill. – Americans will know in three months who the next President will be, with election leaders in central Illinois seeking to combat misinformation about the voting process.
Officials were recently alerted to claims on social media and online that election judges do not have to mark ballots, which they say is incorrect.
Peoria County Election Commission Executive Director Elizabeth Gannon tells 25 News that when someone comes across a rumor such as that, all one has to do is ask them about it.
“If you’re questioning something, or you’re unsure about a process, or you saw something on Facebook, and you’re not sure if that’s accurate, give your local election authority a call and verify it with the source itself,” Gannon said.
Another online rumor claimed undocumented immigrants vote illegally in Peoria County. Gannon says only one was registered to vote within the past ten years, but it was a records mistake that was fixed before the undocumented immigrant cast a ballot.
Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman says election authorities try to stay ahead of any rumors that may pop up.
“We’re actively monitoring our social media account and the community pages throughout our jurisdiction throughout Tazewell County. We look for voter questions, voter items, and we respond to them when we see them,” Ackerman said.
The reassurances come as election leaders are preparing to send out reminders about how to vote by mail, which starts next month, along with early voting.
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