#237 Data & Tech at the Cook County Clerk's Office

Cook County Clerk David Orr runs the third largest election jurisdiction in the country, responsible for administering elections in suburban Cook County.

Abdelnasser Rashid, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Tonya Rice, Elections Data & Technology Manager, will touch on the innovative ways the Clerk’s office has used technology to improve services, expand access and increase efficiency. The Clerk’s Office manages elections for a large suburban area (the City of Chicago has its own elections board) that includes 129 villages and cities with 1.5 million voters, representing hundreds of jurisdictions.

In addition to administering elections, Clerk Orr has led efforts in Illinois to expand access to voting at a time that other states have expanded voter suppression efforts. From developing internal applications, like the Running for Office Starter Kit, to pushing for legislation like Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and Automatic Voter Registration, the Clerk’s office has been at the forefront of using technology to strengthen democracy.