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Green County Clerk Debbie Banghart’s entire staff was sent home.
The county health department ordered a two-week quarantine for all of them after learning one of her employees had contracted COVID-19.
“We still have a lot of preparation to do for this election and, right now, I’m not even allowed to step foot in my office,” she said. “At night. After hours or anything.”
On a call with Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis, Banghart asked fellow clerks and elections officials about a potential nightmare scenario this fall.
“What happens if all of my employees are quarantined at home? If the health department closes our entire office down, how are we going to do early voting or anything for that matter?”
Davis said the issue is a real threat to the November General Election.
“Imagine, you’ve got 9,000 registered voters in Green County. Some of our counties have hundreds of thousands,” he said.
More than two dozen employees of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarborough’s office have contracted COVID-19 since March, according to reports from her office and the Chicago Sun-Times.
It’s a nightmare scenario, for sure. The state may need to set up some sort of roving crew that can pitch in if the worst happens in some of these counties.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 3:52 pm
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It’s still doom…sorry.
Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 3:59 pm
I would have the national guard on standby.
Comment by DTAG Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:00 pm
Two weeks is ridiculous. Deep clean the place and bring in temporary staff. It’s not just elections. No staff means no recordings so the bank can’t close any mortgages, home owners can sell their properties. Couples can’t get married. The county board needs to put pressure on the health department. The chairman appoints the health board members. Not sure if he can dismiss them but the board can yank their funding.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:00 pm
Essential services includes government. Seems like this is a no brainer. Health department is out of control on this one.
Comment by Essential Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:04 pm
If only there was some kind of option to, I dunno, vote by mail or something.
Comment by Leigh John-Ella Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:07 pm
===vote by mail or something===
Those ballots aren’t going to count themselves.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:09 pm
=== Health department is out of control===
That’s the conclusion you draw???
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:09 pm
Call Schaumburg White Sox taxi squad?
Comment by Gedge787 Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:12 pm
This is why you make contingency plans, Debbie. I hope the staff are alright, but folks need to plan for the worst, including elected officials.
Comment by Fixer Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:13 pm
Roving crew should be ready, however, they might not be able to process the votes without the GOP sounding alarms about election security. Possible compromise: Have units, including National Guard, for collecting ballots at sites and securing them at the county office for after the quarantine with 24/7 video surveillance. A delayed vote count isn’t preferred, but there might not be a choice if the nightmare scenario starts happening.
Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:14 pm
1) abolish little counties
2) maybe the clerk should establish distancing procedures, temp and symptom checks, mask requirements for employees, etc.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:17 pm
I think someone is Again confusing Dorothy Brown’s office (circuit Clerk) with Karen Yarbrough’s County clerk.
While unfortunately,Clerk Yarbrough had a few cases and had to shut down last week.
It was the Circuit Clerks office that carried much of the case load in due county.
Comment by Someone you should know Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:22 pm
There are a lot of people out of work right now. It seems like you could bring in temporary clerical employees to interact with walk-ins and physical files and forms, under the supervision of the quarantined-but-healthy full-time employees via video conferencing. It’s not like the office is radioactive or the employees are hospitalized. And I can see no reason why the Clerk or a chief deputy or other employee can’t come in by themselves at night if they want to. County government is clearly an essential function and they’re not going to spread the virus to themselves.
Comment by CEA Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:23 pm
Here is the article he referenced https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/5/19/21263389/25th-employee-contracts-covid-19-at-cook-county-circuit-court-clerks-office
Jesus wept.
Comment by Someone you should know Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:24 pm
Hazmat suits for all. Most of it can be done while maintaining social distance.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:27 pm
Roving crews may not be in a position to run the election systems. Each county (and BOEC) has its own system. Many share components, but a lot of election management software systems are somewhat uniuely customized to the individual jurisdictions
Comment by Titan Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:36 pm
And the reason they can’t work virtually like the rest of us do?
Comment by Southern Skeptic Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:36 pm
Probably won’t be the last one shut down. Especially in small downstate counties where there is a lot of “it’s not here, the covid is no big deal”
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:38 pm
I appreciate the National Guard (as an ex-regular) but remember: they’re part-time (many are cops, and other “essential workers”) and since the mid-90s all combat arms. They’re not trained for this.
Comment by DownstateR Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:41 pm
I don’t know about Greene County, but in my county no one in the county clerk’s office wears a mask, and the office doesn’t require patrons to do so. I assume area counties are much the same. This isn’t a job for the National Guard, just for common sense.
Comment by Don't Bloc Me In Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 4:55 pm
Designated Survivors. 10 days at a time.
Comment by FormerILLobster Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:00 pm
Ms Debbie, relay to your folks the importance of the jobs they have. Part of their job is to take precautions to protect their health and those around them. If they fail in their required duties, can them. Hire professional people who understand the importance of the positions they hold. Your the boss, the one elected to carryout the duties of your office. Act like it and get the job done. Your leadership sets the tone if the office.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:04 pm
== Ms Debbie, relay to your folks the importance of the jobs they have. Part of their job is to take precautions to protect their health and those around them. If they fail in their required duties, can them. ==
Over 200,000 people have contracted coronavirus in Illinois. Should all of them get fired from their jobs?
Comment by SouthSide Markie Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:29 pm
Start following the 6 - 15- 48 with all employees
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:53 pm
If they are choosing to willfully disregard the rules of their employers, Markie, then yes, yes they should be.
Comment by Fixer Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 5:54 pm
Sounds like a need exists for something similar to MABAS…
Comment by DownSouth Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 6:53 pm
I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have a clue how to do any of the county clerks employees jobs without training. Pretty sure you don’t want me touching anything there and I probably wouldn’t have permission to get into the computer systems. Some of you have unrealistic expectations of just dropping people in and the office functioning.
Comment by thoughts matter Monday, Aug 17, 20 @ 9:19 pm
Sothside, if you are in government you should have higher expectations. If they were not following protocols to keep themselves from being ill, and their disregard for their health and the health of the community, then yes the government workers should be fired. Their positions are essential to the daily operations of society. Without them the responsibilities of government in our society does not happen.
For the average citizen, that is between them and the employer. If they didn’t follow the protocols at the very least they should pay out of pocket for their illness.
If I were still in the service right now and I had a soldier who failed to follow the protocols and became ill and was a detriment to the mission and other soldiers, I would strongly reccomend discharge and reduction in rank.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 5:17 am
That was me at 5:17am.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 6:02 am
This reporter mixed up Dorothy Brown and Karen Yarbrough and his link even proves it. I guess reporters don’t have to read their own stories. No wonder no one else reads the news either.
Comment by Pardun Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 6:27 am
I did not know there is a Green County in Illinois. Where is that?
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 6:34 am
It’s right next door to Greene county.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 7:28 am