Kane clerk candidates discuss election security

Elections in Kane County are secure, candidates for the Democratic nomination for county clerk say.

Real estate agent Brenda Rodgers and clerk’s office employee Brian Pollock are running in the March 17 primary.

Rodgers served one term on the Elgin City Council.

Pollock has worked for the clerk’s office for nine years. He is also an attorney and served one term on the Kane County Board.

“We have plenty of security measures (for voting),” Pollock said.

He says that with vote-by-mail, there is always at least one Republican and one Democratic election judge present when the ballots are received and processed, that there are security cameras, and oftentimes poll watchers are present.

Rodgers said, in a candidate questionnaire, she was “secure” in her knowledge that elections are secure.

But she did criticize the clerk’s office, saying its current election computer system “froze” while tabulating votes during the first year it was used in 2024.

Pollock said the glitch happened in 2023 before the new system was installed. But Rodgers maintained there were problems in 2024 and 2025.

“I was there watching the count come in,” Rodgers said.

Pollock said he helped write state legislation regarding the expansion of early voting and vote-by-mail, and that he traveled nationwide to see what other jurisdictions were doing. He said he has worked with the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions.

“My expertise and my accomplishments make me the best qualified,” Pollock said.

Rodgers cited her business experience and community involvement as a plus.

Besides election work, the county clerk maintains vital records, including birth, death and marriage certificates. It also calculates property tax extensions and handles passport applications.

Rodgers criticized Pollock because his business card identifies him as the chief of staff for the clerk’s office. The Daily Herald has confirmed that no such role is listed on the clerk’s website.

The county’s payroll report lists Pollock as being an “alternative language coordinator.”

Both candidates say they want to increase the office’s communications with the public. Rodgers said she would like to start an internship program.

Rodgers said she also wants to persuade more people to vote. “I will do outreach,” and open houses, she said. “People will know wherever I’m at … I will not be a 9-to-5 clerk,” Rodgers said.

Pollock wants to develop a citizens’ academy to teach people about the office’s work. He said he wants to increase public announcements about the office’s duties and services.