Kane state's attorney says election went smoothly
Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said the Nov. 4 election was virtually problem free, with some phone calls to the complaint hotline regarding the use of cellphones in voting areas but no instances of people being denied their rights or turned away at the polls.
"To that degree, we had a very smooth Election Day and I'm pleased with the response of this office to the complaints that came in," he said Tuesday during his monthly media meeting.
McMahon said prosecutors from his office visited 200 of 228 county voting sites and his office's complaint hotline received 17 calls.
Four of these were for campaign signs placed less than 100 feet from polling place, he said.
"Once that's explained, (signs) are moved," McMahon said.
Seven other calls were for technical issues, such as voting machines running out of paper. No calls were received about people being denied their voting rights.
Three people called with concerns about the use of cellphones in voting areas.
McMahon said it is illegal to take video showing who a person is voting for, but there's nothing illegal about having a phone or camera while at a poll.
"The election judges have broad discretion to maintain the integrity of the polling place," McMahon said. "What is a big deal is when people try to record or document how someone else votes. Will that become the new complaint de jour, I don't know."
Four people called to voice privacy concerns over last-minute candidate mailings that referenced each person's voting record in recent elections.
McMahon said records of whether a person voted in a primary or general election are fair game, but exactly who a voter casts a ballot for is private and protected.
"This is the state of the law. It's not something we can change," McMahon said. "Anyone can access that information."