EDWARDSVILLE— Madison County Clerk Linda Andreas is continuing efforts to improve elections and streamline the voting and registration processes for county residents.
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“The staff in this office always strives to better serve constituents, taxpayers and voters,” Andreas said. “Elections are a chief function of the County Clerk’s Office, and we do everything in our power to ensure voters have a good experience when they exercise their right to cast a ballot.”
Andreas said the Clerk’s Office has been working on election-system upgrades that might not be obvious to voters when they cast their ballots. But these upgrades are expected to streamline the voter-registration and voting processes, and reduce wait times at the polls for early voting. Early voting is an option which continues to grow in popularity.
First, a new VRXG voter-registration software system is being implemented. It replaces an aging software system that was installed more than 20 years ago.
“This is a state-of-the-art software system that will simplify the process of registering to vote, maintain the integrity of our voter rolls and better manage the election-setup process,” Andreas said.
For early voting, the Clerk’s Office plans to implement a new system that utilizes touch-screens, known as Poll Pads. The Poll Pads are used by election judges to check-in and verify voters, and determine whether they have already received or voted a mail ballot. The Poll Pads will replace aging laptops which run on older software that is obsolete.
“These Poll Pads will significantly streamline the process for early voting,” Andreas said. “Early voting is increasingly becoming the preferred option for voters, as evidenced by lines we sometimes saw at early-voting sites in 2024.”
The number of ballots cast at early-voting locations in Madison County has increased steadily:
- 2016 early voting: 33,895 ballots cast
- 2020 early voting: 43,929 ballots cast
- 2024 early voting: 46,119 ballots cast
The Poll Pad system, which is certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, enhances election efficiency and security. It also provides real-time data from the polling sites.
“The real-time data would allow us, for example, to see that a certain polling location has a minimal wait time – and we could pass that information along to voters,” Andreas said.
Andreas also is studying the possibility of implementing a notification system, such as a mobile app, for quickly sharing updates on polling sites and election information.
Andreas also gave an update on the new ballot-scanners and tabulators, which were purchased with ARPA funds and used in the 2024 elections. Since the new scanners and tabulators went into use, there have been three “discovery recounts.” A discovery recount is a review of vote results that can be requested when a particular race has a close vote margin.
“In each of those discovery recounts, our results were spot-on,” Andreas said. “I continue to have full confidence in our tabulators and our vote counts.”
Andreas gave credit to the staff of the Clerk’s Office.
“I’m fortunate to have a staff that is very knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated to serving the public,” Andreas said. “Our mission is simple but vital: to ensure that every eligible voter has access to a secure, transparent and efficient election process. Our team works year-round – not just on Election Day – to make sure our elections are fair and are conducted effectively. That’s why we invest in these types of innovations.”
