Evanston City Clerk Devon Reid ran afoul of county election officials this week after he started distributing stickers to voters leaving the early voting site at the Civic Center.
A sharply-worded letter from the county clerk’s office notes that statutes bar anyone from distributing any materials within a 100-foot “campaign-free zone” around voting sites and directs Reid to “cease and desist” from such activity.
The letter, signed by Daniel P. Madden, the legal advisor to County Clerk David Orr, goes on to say that the city clerk’s status as a local election official “is in no way related to the conduct of early voting.”
The local election official’s responsibility, it adds, “is limited to registering voters, receiving petitions and certifying the ballot. It is not a position that has any election management responsibility.”
An image of the sticker provided by Reid.
The stickers Reid was distributing read “I Voted Early – Evanston Votes.”
County election workers typically offer “I voted” stickers to voters leaving the polls.
Reid did not immediately respond to an email message sent late Wednesday afternoon seeking comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune reports that Reid appeared Tuesday in Skokie district court where the case in which he was charged last month with driving on a suspended license was continued until April 6.
Reid told the paper that he now plans to get his driver’s license back in good standing. It has been suspended since 2013. He’ll have to pay reinstatement fees and provide proof of insurance for any car he owned to do that.
And why did I get a text from
And why did I get a text from the clerk’s office asking me about early voting?
Yeah, what was up with that text?
I’ve never gotten a text from the city before and I certainly didn’t think when I put my phone number on my wheel tax or pet license application that it was going to be used to text me about an election.
“Based on the voting records
“Based on the voting records we have in the City Clerk’s Office …” Creepy. Why is Evanston city government looking up my voting record?
City clerk texting voters?
Are those texts also based on the ballots requested in the last primary? Are the people being texted those who requested Democrat ballots? And do they live in specific wards in the town? And is there a reason to be wary or even untrusting of city government now?
Perhaps Evanston needs to take a better look at defining the roles government jobs have in the lives of the voters – and make it clear to those who fill those positions.
And perhaps this town should also vet the candidates better. We need people who follow the rules. It isn’t that difficult to renew a driver’s license. It’s the law.
Is it just me or are we
Is it just me or are we reading wayyyyy to many stories about a City Clerk? Maybe he needs to go.
One problem to another
Seems he can’t seem to understand what is job is, how to drive, how to get his licence, how to handle documents.
Have past Clerks had so many problems ?
problems
Well….Mr. Greene certainly had his own share of problems & issues..and it involved needless money spending on himself….and other things!
How much $ did those stickers cost???
Any idea how much $ those custom stickers come st? I’d call that needless spending of taxpayer money. Looking up voting records in this age is unwarranted and invasive. Texting people is intrusive. So we got waste, invasion and intrusion…who’d guess inexperienced Reid is 25 years old. You who elected him have created an on-the-job training position that makes this city a laughing stock.
problems
Well Ms. Verna I sure wish that you and all these other voters who voted for Mr. Reid will kindly leave my name out of your conversations and accusations. There were never any problems in the Clerk’s Office under my tenure. The minutes were done on time, the Council meetings were always covered by me or in my absence my Deputy Clerks. The only problem that you uninformed members of Evanston is the so call unnecessary spending of my tax dollars and yours. Those funds were all legitimate, and I am not guilty of anything. My record stands the test of time and the excellent services that were initiated to assist all visitors to the Clerk’s Office. My integrity and moral character is and will always be a legacy of honesty and transparency By the way what issues do you claim I had? There was never any complaints from either the city personnel/staff nor from the residents of Evanston and the surrounding communities. At least when I came into the position of City Clerk, I attended many conferences, seminars and training sessions so that I could give the best service to the constituents who elected me to serve them. That is exactly what I did, through those meetings I received the highest certification a clerk could receive, the MMC (Master Municipal Clerk) designation. Also being the only full-time elected official, I was in the office with an open door policy five days a week between 8- 12 hours each day. I was a full time clerk , doing the job any clerk in Illinois and the other states, county’s , and villages are directed to do by way of their coded ordinances and those expressed in the Illinois Compiled Statues. I followed the directives, respected and accepted authority, and worked to improve all aspects of community service from the clerk’s office. Finally, during my tenure I fought for the respect that was due to the position of the clerk from the Council, City administrators, staff, and fellow clerks all over the state of Illinois and beyond.
So, please list the so call issues and problems that were connected with the Clerk’s Office during the 9.5 years that I served.
problems
What other things? The only thing that you and others keep bringing up concerning Mr. Greene is the funds used to gain membership in a worthwhile publication. Further more there was never any disgraceful, or dishonest act attributed to Mr. Greene while he was serving as the City Clerk. He was always in his office, and he and his staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. If you know of any “OTHER THINGS”, then kindly report it or keep your unsubstantiated facts to yourself, and stop spewing out things you know nothing about.
Eddie Bell
We may need to go way back to 1956 to find a good City Clerk in Evanston, Eddie Bell.
Where are all of the
Where are all of the “resistors” on this? Impeach and elect Howard Sprague for clerk! Never came close to a scandalous accusation while taking care of Mayberry’s business.
AND…..
Just as important…..Andy for City Manager, and Barney as the Ass’t. Manager……And Aunt Bee as the head of the Chamber of Commerce! Love it!
It is almost
midnight and that really made me laugh. Thanks for humor on a somewhat depressing news item.
past comments on RG
Look at some of the comments regarding the former clerk….from April 12-13, 2017. They clearly bring up the trips and spending, and other issues mentioned regarding Mr. Green. He seems surprised by some of the backlash…really? Did he ever pay back that money? Just asking…..I’m sure he thought his job would last forever, or nobody would find out some of these issues. I’ll take somebody who doesn’t renew his license over someone who spends/wastes thousands of dollars on himself….and doesn’t get checked about that..which leads to another item…who is overseeing expenditures of city employees?