Amanda Barnes has seen a lot in her 20-plus years in the Williamson County Clerk’s office, perhaps none as unusual as what happened just a few months ago.
"In the recent consolidated election in April we had a tie vote of 11-11 for president, and we flipped a coin to break the tie vote," she told the Southwest Illinois News.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Barnes, who has been county clerk since 2013, flipped the coin to decide the election for Colp village president between Tammy O'Daniell-Howell and Bryan Riekena. O'Daniell-Howell chose heads, won the toss, and now heads the town of approximately 250 residents.
Marion Town Square
| http://www.williamsoncountyil.gov/
"I have been here through punch card ballots and seeing the change to paper ballots," Barnes said. “We’ve had some of our county clerk meetings in the old Capitol in Springfield when we were there for a conference."
Barnes, who had been the chief deputy county clerk for 12 years, was appointed to the top spot in 2013 when Saundra Jent decided to retire before her term ended. Barnes held onto the position in the next election, and she said she's been trying to show voters that they made the right choice.
“I am always looking at making things run more smoothly," Barnes, a Republican, said. "Earlier this year in recording we started erecording. In our office we are mandated by laws on what we can do, which also means laws are always changing (especially in elections), where we are always adapting and changing with the times.”
Barnes said she thinks most people don't really understand what a county clerk does.
"This office is very diversified in what we do, from conducting all local, state and federal elections to being the keeper of the records with birth, death, marriages, deeds, mortgages, veterans' discharge papers, collecting back taxes, as well as clerk to the county board.”
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