Letter To The Editor:
Last week’s article about County Clerk Linda Andreas and County Coroner Nick Novacich reviewing voter rolls for deceased voters tells a larger story. It shows a politician gearing up for a primary campaign. Just days before Andreas issued her press release, Kurt Prenzler filed to challenge her for the Republican nomination for County Clerk in 2026. There is no better way to court Republican primary voters than by creating the illusion that you are fighting “voter fraud.”
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What the article and press release fail to mention is that the County Clerk already has access to death records. Maintaining vital records is not a new initiative. It is a core responsibility of the Clerk’s office under state law. The Madison County Clerk’s own website states: “The County Clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining records of the county’s vital statistics and records including birth, death and marriage certificates and reporting statistics to the State, as required by law.”
Previous County Clerks maintained an internal system to routinely review new death records and update the voter rolls. Andreas took office in 2022. Her press release states she found 104 deceased voters who passed away in 2024 still listed on the rolls. That is not evidence of a bold new reform. It is evidence that the routine work of the office has been neglected.
This was not about protecting elections. It was about producing a headline and a photo. I am glad Andreas and Novacich were able to pose for a picture. Madison County residents deserve leadership focused on the job, not on political theater.
John Burns Granite City
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