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PROPOSED ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE REVEREND JESSE L. JACKSON SR. FAIR ACCESS TO DEMOCRACY THROUGHOUT COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, national investigations have documented that U.S. citizens have been detained by immigration authorities across the country, with one Pro Publica investigation identifying more than 170 Americans who were arrested or detained by immigration agents despite their citizenship; and
WHEREAS, these incidents demonstrate that aggressive immigration enforcement practices-particularly those relying on rapid raids, collateral arrests, or identity assumptions- can result in wrongful detention, physical restraint, and deprivation of liberty for United States citizens, raising serious constitutional and public safety concerns; and
WHEREAS, government workers, including election workers, election judges, election coordinators, and other individuals performing official duties are increasingly subject to harassment, intimidation, and the non-consensual publication of personal information commonly known as “doxing”; and
WHEREAS, such conduct threatens the integrity of elections, discourages civic participation, and endangers public safety. The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the privacy and safety of all government workers, including poll workers and to prohibit doxing, harassment, and intimidation related to election administration; and
WHEREAS, adopting comprehensive anti-doxing provisions and anti-intimidation measures is necessary to uphold public trust in elections, and to ensure that Cook County remains a national model for election integrity and democratic participation; and
WHEREAS, the misuse of governmental authority, including actions taken under color of law, to intimidate voters or election personnel is incompatible with constitutional protections and violates both the spirit and the letter of State and federal law; and
WHEREAS, the creation of a working group is essential to examine issues affecting voter access and participation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Board of Commissioners of Cook County that Chapter 22, Article 4, of the Municipal Code of Cook County is hereby created and shall be known as titled as “The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy throughout Cook County Ordinance.”
Section 22-4.1- Scope.
a) This Ordinance applies to election works, both temporary and full-time, for all elections administered by the Cook County Clerk starting November 3, 2026, and every election thereafter.
Section 22-4.2 - Definitions.
a) The following definitions shall apply for purposes of this chapter:
1) “Advisory Council” means The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy throughout Cook County Advisory Council.
2) “Electoral Board” means the Cook County Electoral Board.
3) “Election Worker” means a temporary or fulltime worker of a unit of local government, school district, or board of elections, exclusively within Cook County, including vote-by- mail processing staff, any individual serving as an election judge, election coordinator, or early voting official, or any other person designated by the Election Board to perform official election duties, or any Cook County employee volunteering under the Cook County Employees as Election Day Workers Program, pursuant to Section 22-1 of the Cook County Municipal Code. “Election Worker” does not include a public employee whose identity, home address, or personal information is a matter of public record by virtue of their official duties, or who holds an elected office or a senior appointed position that requires confirmation by a legislative body.
4) “Personally identifiable information” means any information a person and/or entity can use to distinguish or trace a person's identity, such as name, prior legal name, alias, mother's maiden name, and date or place of birth in combination with other information that is linked or linkable to a person: such as:
A. social security number, home address, non-work phone number, non-work email address, or non-public social media accounts; or
B. medical, financial, or consumer information, data, or records; or
C. any sexually intimate visual depiction; or
D. any information that provides access to a person's teleconferencing, video- teleconferencing, or other digital meeting room.
b) Prohibition on disclosure of personally identifiable information of election workers:
1) It is unlawful for any person to disseminate, disclose, or publish any personally identifiable information of an election worker without the consent of the election worker, knowing and individual and/or organization can possibly use the personally identifiable information to locate, contact, and/or target the election worker, if the disclosing person and/or entity acts with the intent to cause death, bodily injury, stalking, harassment, or intimidation of the election worker and/or a family or household member of the election worker.
2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to conflict with Section 230 of Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230), to prohibit any activity protected under the Constitution or laws of the United States or the Constitution or laws of Illinois, or to prohibit reporting criminal activity to law enforcement authorities. Nor shall this section apply when dissemination, disclosure, or publication is required by any federal, State, or local law or regulation, or court rule or court order.
Section 22-4.3 Enforcement and penalties.
a) Any person who violates Section 22-4.2 et al., of this chapter shall be fined not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 for each offense. Each day a violation continues or occurs, and each violation committed per day, shall constitute a separate and distinct offense to which a separate fine shall apply.
Section 22-4.4 Private right of action.
a) An election worker whose personally identifiable information is disclosed in violation of Section 22-4.2 of this chapter may bring a civil action against any individual who committed such violation for damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
Section 22-4.5 - The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy throughout Cook County Advisory Council.
a) Establishment. There is hereby established The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy throughout Cook County Advisory Council. In addition to an invited member of the Advisory Council from the Cook County Electoral Board, the Advisory Council shall consist of no more than eleven (11) members appointed by the President and Cook County Clerk with approval from the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Of the initial appointments to the Advisory Council, three (3) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years by the President of the Cook County Board, two (2) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years by the Cook County Clerk. The remaining three members will be ex-officio. Succeeding appointments to the Advisory Council shall be for terms of three years. All members of the Advisory Council, except for the ex-officio members, shall be subject to confirmation by the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Initial appointments to the Board shall be introduced to the Cook County Board of Commissioners within 30 days of the effective date of this ordinance.
b) Composition.
1) The Advisory Council shall consist of the following members:
i) The Cook County Clerk’s Deputy Clerk of Elections, or their designee, who shall be an ex-officio member of the Advisory Council and shall serve as its Chair;
ii) Cook County Board President’s Chief of Staff, or their designee, who shall be an ex-officio member of the Advisory Council and shall serve as its Vice Chair;
iii) The Cook County Clerk’s Elections Legal Counsel, or their designee, who shall be an ex-officio member of the Advisory Council;
iv) Five (5) members, three (3) appointed by the Cook County Board President and two (2) appointed by the Cook County Clerk, including:
(a) At least one (1) member between the age of 18 and 24 years old, with experience in one or more of the following categories: civil rights, disability access, community organizing, election protection, language access, the Cook County Youth Advisory Council, and/or voter engagement.
2) The Advisory Council shall invite the Cook County Electoral Board to designate an ex officio member, or their designee, of the Advisory Council;
3) The Advisory Council shall invite the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to designate an ex officio member, or their designee, of the Advisory Council;
4) The Advisory Council shall invite the Cook County’s State’s Attorney’s Office, to designate an ex officio member, or their designee, of the Advisory Council.
c) Purposes.
1) The purpose of the Advisory Council is to study and make recommendations regarding policies and practices promoting safe, fair, and accessible participation in elections within the jurisdiction of the County of Cook, including, but not limited to:
i) Recommendations for increased accessibility of public infrastructure surrounding polling places, including sidewalks, lighting, signage, and transportation;
ii) Recommendations for public education and outreach efforts to inform residents about voting rights and registration;
iii) Strategies for connecting with residents who are disengaged from the democratic process and identifying barriers preventing participation in elections throughout Cook County, including unincorporated Cook County;
iv) Approaches to increasing civic engagement and democratic participation throughout the County, including through partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, and local stakeholders;
v) Coordination between County departments, local municipalities, and election authorities to support safe and accessible voting;
vi) The potential impacts of federal law enforcement activities or other governmental actions occurring near polling places possibly interfering with and/or intimidating voters;
vii) Recommendations for County policies, practices, and/or programs improving access to the polls and protecting voters and election workers; and
viii) Recommendations for changes to state law and/or election administration practices.
d) Meetings.
1) The Advisory Council shall meet at least quarterly and may hold public hearings or community meetings as necessary to gather information and public input. A majority of members of the Advisory Council, including the invited member, shall constitute a quorum.
e) Report.
1) The Advisory Council shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners no later than June 1 of each year, beginning with the first June 1 following the establishment of the Advisory Council. The report may include recommendations directed to the Illinois General Assembly and the Election Board.
f) Staff support.
1) The Cook County Clerk’s Office shall provide administrative support to the Advisory Council, and the Advisory Council may request assistance from other County departments, as necessary.
g) Construction.
1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant the Advisory Council authority over the administration of elections.
2) No member of the Advisory Council may intentionally perform any prohibited political activity, as the term is defined in Section 2-583 et al. of this Code, to the extent such conduct is prohibited under Chapter 2, Article VII, Division 2 et al. of this Code.
Section 22-4.6 - Severability.
a) If any part, section, sentence, clause or application of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid, void and of no effect, for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance, or their application to other circumstances.
Section 22-4.7 - Effective Dates.
a) Chapter 22, Article 4, Sections 1 through 3 shall take effect ten (10) days after the passage and publication of this ordinance. After passage and approval, Section 4 of this ordinance shall take effect on September 1, 2026. The remainder of this ordinance shall take effect upon passage and approval.
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