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Kane County election director quits

Kane County's director of elections has resigned less than six months before a presidential contest that's already seen record voter turnout in several state primaries.

Suzanne Fahnestock has run elections since October 2007. County officials confirmed her unexpected resignation Thursday. Her departure drew the attention of county board Chairman Chris Lauzen. He appeared before a county board committee that oversees County Clerk Jack Cunningham's office. Cunningham did not attend the meeting. Susan Ericson, who handles the county's tax extension calculations, spoke in Cunningham's place.

Lauzen vented a concern that Fahnestock's absence may exacerbate delays at polling places. Some precincts experienced wait times of more than an hour during the March primary. Lauzen also pointed to same-day voter registration mandates as a potential contributor to even longer delays in November.

A supervisor who served under Fahnestock, Raymond Esquivel, will take over many of the duties "until we figure out how to go forward," Ericson said.

That transition will take two or three months. The timeline appeared to heighten Lauzen's concern.

"Two months means July," he said. "That leaves three and a half months for getting ready for a major general election?"

Ericson said Cunningham will use consultants to speed up the process.

"I don't know a whole lot about elections," she said. "Jack has a plan."

In a phone interview, Cunningham said he is still debating how to address Fahnestock's departure. He may not replace Fahnestock if that makes more financial sense. If Esquival took over the full duties and kept his current salary, the county would save about $34,000 in base salary alone.

"It's a challenge," Cunningham said. "You hate to lose a chief. Thank goodness it's not happening in October. I'll do what's best for the county and for saving the county money."

The verdict on that statement will come in November. The Pew Research Center issued a study in March showing that the Republican turnout in the first 12 presidential primaries this year was the highest since at least 1980. Democratic turnout in their first dozen primaries was the highest since 1992, except for the record turnout in Barack Obama's first run for office in 2008.

Fahnestock's husband, Roger, remains employed as the county's chief information officer.

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