ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Monday, when GOP 12th sub-circuit judicial candidate James Paul Pieczonka went to the Arlington Heights Village Hall to vote, he was surprised to find the signature on Cook County Board of Elections’ files didn’t look at all like his.

“I’ve been registered to vote for over 30 years, and never was questioned when I went to vote,” Pieczonka said.

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“I don’t know how it happened, but the signature was different.”

The election official was the first to notice the signature problem, and took corrective action.

During early voting, the election officials compare the voter’s signature to the one on record via computer screen. In the northwestern Cook County village of Arlington Heights, like elsewhere throughout the state election records for early voting are not held in binders as they are on Election Day because early voting polls take in voters from numerous precincts, rather than just one.

Pieczonka said the election judge declined the candidate’s offer to present his state I.D. for signature comparison. Instead, he was asked to fill out two forms to re-verify his signature. After that, he was allowed to vote.

Pieczonka had no issues voting, just with getting access to the voting machines. He told Illinois Review he’s been told of at least one other person that had a similar situation develop this week at an early voting location in Glenview.

Three calls to the Cook County Board of Elections’ were not returned.

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