Smile Politely - December 2019
“A truly dynamic duo on the local political stage, nothing truly passes muster for the (D)s these days without the approval and support of Carol Ammons, and her husband, Aaron. Between the two of them, they’ve held Urbana Council seats, served as State Representative and County Clerk. Their accomplishments are their own, of course, but there is no denying how powerful and influential the pair are.
And that is good news for all of us. Their causes? Social justice; racial justice and economic repair; women’s rights; queer and trans rights; environmental justice; strenghtening oversight on law enforcement; releasing voter suppression; union stewardship. More of this over the next ten years please.”
TIME MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020
“Champaign County’s drop boxes will be installed as a result of state legislation that Illinois passed in response to coronavirus, giving counties the option of having them. Ammons has held several information sessions with county election judges, teams of whom will be responsible for collecting the ballots twice a day, every day, until the final votes are cast...”
NEWS-GAZETTE
Behind the scenes processing vote by mail ballots at the Clerk’s Office
WCIA - July 2020
“The vote is the way for the people to be heard,” Ammons said. “And so, as much as it is the responsibility of the elected officials to hear the people, it’s also the responsibility of the people to speak up. Your voice is your vote.”
DAILY ILLINI - OCTOBER 2020
“We haven’t had any widespread issues of voter impersonation,” he said. “As the local election authority, I will be voting by mail … I would not tell people to vote-by-mail if it was not safe and secure.”
SMILE POLITELY - MARCH 2020
“Coming into office and having to turn around and run an election and a property tax cycle with no transition is a monumental feat that went largely unnoticed. It took absolute resolve, leadership, and a very, very steady hand by Aaron to carry and guide the office through a turbulent time — and he never wavered. I got to see that play out day in and out. He would be the first one in and the last to leave. I’m not sure too many would have been able to do what he did.”
WCIA - MAY 2020
“They are secure places for people to put their ballots without having to use postage. So, this will save the taxpayers money,” says Ammons. “After we do the one-time, upfront cost to implement the drop boxes, we will not have to pay for return postage.”
DENVER POST - AUGUST 2020
“I learned the importance of a significant investment in the election process is well worth it,” Ammons said.
He hit the ground running back in Illinois, investing in a mail sorter and opener, color-coded sorting trays, and drop boxes, but said he needs more money from the state or federal government to finish the job.
WAND - OCTOBER 2020
“People love them. We have ballots rolling in by the hundreds every day. We are really probably up to maybe 3 or 4000 (that) have been returned," Ammons said.
SMILE POLITELY - DECEMBER 2020
“Simply put: Aaron Ammons does not get the credit he deserves for his track record of work he has done in the community.
Fast forward to 2020, where Ammons and his team were faced with the most challenging of elections to manage, and they knocked it out of the park. Sure, there are small snafus that come along, and in a year where everything has been under the microscope — whether it was warranted or simply tactics being pursued based on Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud — Champaign County Clerk’s office did their job and did it well. Progressive politics are the key here, especially useful when historically voter suppression is such a problem in our country, as the office went above and beyond. Whether it was adding more ballot boxes or being helpful and transparent about mail-ins, or something in between, they deserve the most credit.”
WCIA - APRIL 2021
“Clerk Ammons said all voters are welcome to use them. “It’s for regular voters who just come in and they’re used to circling in the bubbles, or even for our differently abled. We had a vision-impaired person come in today to use it. He loved it.”
WCIA - APRIL 2022
“The homeless community, people with felony convictions, they’re marginalized people within our community who think they don’t have the right to vote....But that’s not true...” Ammons said.