West Central Reporter

Either Scott County can’t keep accurate records or Judicial Watch doesn’t know how to read them.

The conservative watchdog group has accused counties throughout Illinois of having inaccurate and therefore illegal voter rolls, including Scott County.

But Scott County Clerk Sandra Hankins begs to differ.

Hankins told the West Central Reporter that the Judicial Watch count does not reflect the numbers on the county books.

“They don't know how to read our records,” Hankins said.

She said Judicial Watch’s figures are padded with voter names from the past.

“They're including the canceled voters … or others who have moved out of the county,” Hankins said.

Detailing some of the ways that Scott County keeps its voter registration rolls accurate, Hankins cited an Illinois Voter Registration System website provided by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

“We have to verify -- we have to keep track of people who are deceased,” Hankins said.

She said county officials sometimes look in local newspapers for information, but they also use the website.

Judicial Watch’s Robert Popper responded to the county’s assertion on Wednesday, saying the group tried to update data from a U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey from 2011-2015, which was used as the basis for the claims against the counties.

Popper said according to the information that Judicial Watch found, Illinois leads the country in the number of counties that might be in violation. He said he encouraged counties with new data to provide it to Justice Watch.

“We sought to update that data,” Popper said. “We’re happy to take anything that they want to give us.”

Poppers said a study by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission later this year will clear up the issue, providing new voter registration roll figures.

“We’ll see … if our estimates were accurate,” Popper said.