PEKIN, Ill. — Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman announced Thursday the clerk’s office is the recipient of a $91,250 Federal Polling Place Accessibility Grant from the Illinois State Board of Elections (SBE).
$1 million was awarded by the SBE to election authorities across Illinois to improve accessibility at polling places.
“Tazewell County put in for four grants totaling about $300,000,” said Ackerman. “Of that, we received two of the grants. Both of those projects will be used exclusively at the McKenzie Building.”
According to Ackerman, the money will be used around the McKenzie Building because it’s the early-polling location for all Tazewell County residents.
“In the presidential election, we had over 16,000 individuals come to this facility to cast their votes in early voting — the largest early vote turnout, at this building, we’ve ever had,” said Ackerman.
To improve handicap accessibility, the City of Pekin will be replacing the current sidewalks with a new drive-up landing on the 4th St side of the building.
With the new drive-up landing, individuals will not have to exit their vehicles on the street.
In that same project, the sidewalk in front of the street entrance will be raised and leveled to the appropriate grading for handicap accessibility.
The second part of the grant will be used to make the door facing the Tazewell County Courthouse handicap accessible with a new doorway.
Tazewell County Treasurer Mary Burress said the new drive-up landing will be helpful in more occasions than just voting, as they mail out 67,000 parcels of tax bills.
“With the post office coming over, they have to block the street for us to load those tax bills,” said Burress. “This will be a huge help getting them off the street.”
Pekin Mayor Mark Luft said he was glad to be able to assist Tazewell County on the project.
“What a great opportunity for the city and the county to team together and get something good like this done,” said Luft. “[Americans with Disabilities Act] compliance is important to us, and it’s become a major investment for us.”
Both projects will be completed by June 30, 2022. The costs will be completely covered by the grant received by the Tazewell County Clerk’s Office.
