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Kane County Clerk candidate Douglas Warlick answered Shaw Local’s election questionnaire for the Kane County Clerk primary election.
Voting ends for the primary election on the evening of June 28.
Full Name: Douglas Warlick
What office are you seeking? Kane County Clerk
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Duly elected Republican Precinct Committeeman (vice-chair of the Geneva Township Republican Central Committee (GTRCC))
City: Geneva
Occupation: Trial Attorney
Education: Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D. 1981)
Lake Forest College (B.A. 1978)
Schaumburg High School (1974)
Campaign Website: www.Warlick4KaneCountyClerk.com
Automated improvements were made during the pandemic to facilitate mail-in ballots and early voting. What else should be done to improve voters’ access to the polls?
We need Election Integrity! That means the voters of Kane County should have full confidence in the election process. Too many questions arose after the last election as a result of the incumbent neglecting to follow the law. For example, the Illinois Election Code expressly provides a vehicle for handling situations like a voter being told on Election Day that he/she already voted, namely, the voter is permitted to sign an affidavit and vote with a Provisional Ballot. The statute provides safeguards so that such a person can vote but not vote twice. However, the incumbent whimsically decided NOT to have any provisional ballots.
Why do you want to be county clerk?
I want to follow my passion as well as foster love, appreciation and respect for our Constitutional Republic for the benefit of every American, especially including my children and grandchildren. As an attorney for over 40 years, I have the utmost respect for the rule of law and our judicial system. However, like so many other Americans, I am dismayed by the questions and chaos surrounding the 2020 election and I believe that I can correct that situation here in Kane County. First, the Kane County Clerk must follow the Illinois Election Code (the incumbent ignored the law). Second, voter roles can be cleaned-up with some effort. Third, I intend to retire from the practice of law and devote my full-time attention to the Kane County Clerk’s Office. However, unlike the incumbent who has occupied this office for the last 20 years after being elected at the age of 63, I pledge to serve not more than two terms to enable fresh ideas and new technology to reinvigorate the office.
What can you do to ensure that Kane County elections remain fair?
The Kane County Clerk’s principal responsibility is to manage every facet of every election of a public official within Kane County. Elections are fair when each Kane County Voter is able to cast one vote within the rules and guidelines that are proscribed by the Illinois Election Code. The Clerk does not have the option to ignore Illinois Law nor whimsically fail to comply with Illinois Law. The Clerk also should not create procedures that are contrary to Illinois Law. The incumbent has done those things and perhaps that is because he has checked-out after being a career politician who has been holding this job for 20 years.
What safeguards are (or will) you put into place to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote?
Every citizen of Kane County who desires to vote as reflected by the time and effort required to register to vote, ought to do so in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the law. When a situation requires the use of a provisional ballot, or there is an error and a ballot is legally “spoiled”, or a vote-by-mail ballot is returned after election day without a postmark, we need to take the time to investigate the situation and permit the voter to vote in accordance with Illinois Law. We should not have systems in place that foster questions such as using a postal permit that enables ballots to be returned without postmarks. And there is no excuse for the behavior of the incumbent who permitted tabulating ballots that were not viewed and initialed by election judges from both parties. We can also easily clean-up the voter roles with little effort. We simply need to instill confidence in the election process.
What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?
FOIA is a great tool and must continue to be used in accordance with its intended purpose.
Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.
Public officials work for the citizens and must be accountable to the citizens. Nothing should be concealed, even the fiscal records and operations, except the personal information of the employees. Following the last election, I would appoint a Blue Ribbon Committee to explore the mechanics of the election process, and if necessary, work with our State legislature to implement changes. I would also insist upon two major rules of procedure, namely: First, follow the law as is set forth in our Illinois Election Code. Second, conduct random audits by hand-counting certain precincts to test the accuracy and veracity of the process.