Illinois

RandySF

(78,712 posts) Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:23 PM Oct 17

La Salle Co. chairman won't sign election judge pay raise

La Salle County election judges might not be getting a pay raise, after all.

Don Jensen, chairman of the La Salle County Board, circulated an email Thursday advising board members that he would not sign the recently enacted increase in compensation for election judges.

“I’m all about fair and well-run elections,” Jensen said, “but I think that pay increase is excessive.”

The proposed increase was from $185 to $300, a jump of 62.2%. The county board adopted the raise on Oct. 9 by a vote of 16-11. Despite the majority vote, Jensen cited board rules giving him the authority not to sign the ordinance.

https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2025/10/17/la-salle-co-chairman-wont-sign-election-judge-pay-raise/

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La Salle Co. chairman won't sign election judge pay raise (Original Post) RandySF Oct 17 OP

Typical Republican cheapskate! ShazzieB Oct 17 #1

ShazzieB

(21,856 posts)

1. Typical Republican cheapskate!

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 10:37 PM

Oct 17

The article didn't mention his party affiliation, but I was just sure he was GOP, because that is the party that begrudges every penny going to any regular folks for absolutely anrthing. I did some googling and yep, I called it right!

From the quotes in the article, the support for the pay increase wasn't divided strictly on party lines. At least one Republican that was quoted said she was in favor of it:

Board member Arratta Znaniecki (R-Ottawa) voted for the pay increase – she thought the judges’ dawn-to-dusk hours merited more compensation – but she also reviewed the rule cited and concluded that Jensen acted within his authority.

“I believe Chairman Jensen was within his rights to do what he did,” Znaniecki said.

Znaniecki cautioned, however, that the board has signaled the judges will get $300 per day and she is now concerned about the potential fallout if the board rescinds it.

Sounds like the nxt LaSalle County Board meeting should be an interesting one!

Having worked as an election judge, I agree that the hours are brutal. You have to be there at 5 am (an hour before the polls open at 6) and stay however long you have to stay to wrap things up. The polls close at 7 pm, so that's 14 hours plus whatever. It's exhausting. I don't think $300 is too much at all. It is a big jump all at once, but $185 is ridiculous, imo.

Good luck, LaSalle County election judges. I hope y'all get to keep your raise!

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