To the Editor:
The right to vote is a fundamental liberty of our democracy and the Cook County Clerk’s Office places the utmost importance on protecting and preserving that right.
Right now, one of the greatest threats to the integrity of our elections is the tremendous amount of disinformation and misinformation circulating on websites and social media, implying fraud or misconduct in election operations. That is why my office has created a new “Trusted Source” webpage that provides detailed information and facts about election transparency and integrity.
The Trusted Source webpage contains detailed FAQs to address voter concerns about allegations of election fraud as well as questions about voter identification, the processing of ballots, and mail ballot drop boxes. There are separate, detailed sections that focus on questions about voting by mail and methods to ensure election transparency and integrity. The page also provides a list of other trusted election sources at the national, state, and local levels.
The webpage also outlines the extensive measures that the Clerk’s Office takes to protect the electoral process and to offer safe and accessible voting methods. Some of these measures include a voter registration process that ensures only those meeting state eligibility requirements can vote and tracks those who have cast a ballot; extensive cybersecurity protections; extended Early Voting; a secure Vote-by-mail process; and secure ballot drop boxes at countywide polling locations.
As the election authority for suburban Cook County, nothing is as important as ensuring that voters have complete faith and confidence in the security of our elections. As we approach the March 19 Presidential Primary Election, I strongly encourage all voters to visit our Trusted Source webpage, cookcountyclerk.com/trustedsource, to have their questions and concerns answered and to learn details about the many facets of the elections process.
Knowledge is power and an educated voter is the key component to meaningful participation in our voting process!
Karen A. Yarbrough
Cook County Clerk
