Karen Yarbrough: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: MaywoodWebsite: karenforclerk.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karen-Yarbrough-for-Clerk-1656757114399724/Office sought: Cook County Clerk Age: 67Family: Karen and her husband, Henderson, have a blended family of six and share twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.Occupation: Cook County Recorder of DeedsEducation: BS Degree (Chicago State University) MA Degree (Northeastern IL. University.)Civic involvement: National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty // United Way // Maywood Chamber of Commerce // Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Charity // St. James Church of Broadview //Elected offices held: Cook County Recorder of Deeds (current) Proviso Township Democratic Committeeman (current) 7th Congressional District State Central Committeewoman (current) Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois (current) State Representative, 7th RD (2000-2012)Questions Answers After 26 years of being run by David Orr, are there major changes you propose to the clerk's office? Is it being run well?Generally the office is run well, but many have complained to me about the lack of consistency in the application of election laws and rules. Major changes will be effectuated through the pending merger of the Clerk and Recorder's Offices, which will present opportunities for savings and efficiency.How well does the clerk's office run elections in suburban Cook County? Are changes needed?Running suburban elections is a highly complex and intricate endeavor, and elections are generally run well. Changes are needed to ensure consistency in the communication and implementation of election rules, especially those that expand access to voting. We should not have voters turned away by municipal officials due to incorrect understandings of voter rights. Suburban Clerks are requesting training, which I will provide as Clerk. Another area to explore are "voting centers" which can reduce cost and improve service delivery with fewer staff.Did you support the merger of the recorder of deed's office into the clerk's office? If elected clerk, how will you put this merger into effect?I was opposed to the way the merger was presented to the voters, with no information, forewarning, or in-depth study of whether money would be actually saved. I believe the two offices are important enough to stand alone, and I am proud of running the Recorder's Office as one of the most efficient in the County. Now that the voters have spoken, I am running to ensure that the merger is handled in the most efficient manner, and is done so in a way that does not see our current community outreach programs and efforts fall by the wayside.Do you believe same-sex couples should be able to marry? Regardless of that personal belief, will you support the legal right of same-sex couples to marry if elected?Yes. Yes.How will you ensure the security of ballots and guard against hacking efforts?My current office (CCRD) is an internationally-recognized leader in promoting and developing the new and highly secure technology called "blockchain." I will apply this same zeal for cyber-security and encryption to the voting system. That being said, I am also open to looking at the most secure form of voting, paper and pen. If we can't protect voting machines, we should go back to paper. I believe we can implement safer voting technology, but will explore all available options.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Voter Education (taking proactive efforts to help residents access government in unique and helpful ways) // Fiscal Responsibility //Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Elizabeth WarrenWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?You must work for what you want.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?More educationWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Geography. It helped me learn about the world and its people, and guided my efforts towards social justice as a legislatorIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Honesty, integrity and faithfulness are good