Illinois Secretary of State: Democratic Incumbent Alexi Giannoulias Faces Joliet Republican Diane Harris

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias will be seeking to serve his second four-year term as the Democrat officeholder for one of the most powerful elected positions in state government.

In Tuesday's general election, he went up against Diane Harris of Joliet. Back in the March 17th primary, she came out ahead in the Republican primary going up against Walter Adamczyk of Chicago. Giannoulias did not face any opposition on the Democratic ballot.

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Back in 2006, Giannoulias was elected the youngest state treasurer in the country at age 30. Over the past four years, Giannoulias has overseen the largest Secretary of State's office in the country, with more than 4,000 employees and 25 departments.

According to his political office website, "in his first official act, Giannoulias signed a sweeping Executive Ethics Order aimed at increasing transparency, enhancing protections for victims of sexual harassment or threats of violence, and simplifying the public's ability to report improprieties to the Inspector General's office.

"Giannoulias launched an ongoing effort to transform and modernize the office's outdated and aging technology, making it more secure and efficient and enabling Illinoisans to obtain more services online, replacing the need to visit a DMV. Customer experience has been improved by eliminating the "Time Tax," or the amount of time that Illinoisans spend waiting in lines or filling out forms to obtain simple, but essential, government services."

The Secretary of State website indicates that he implemented his "Skip-the-Line" program, allowing Illinoisans to make appointments at the state's busiest DMV facilities, which has reduced wait times, and cross-trained employees to increase efficiencies. To accommodate more on-demand requests for services, the office has deployed more mobile units, created "pop-up" DMVs and established multiple Senior Centers at no cost to the office, specifically designed to assist senior drivers.

"Pursuing an ambitious legislative agenda, Giannoulias has spearheaded initiatives to combat distracted driving, safeguard women's healthcare access, protect drivers from discriminatory traffic stops, and provide funding resources to law enforcement to prevent car thefts," his website noted.

Republican challenger Harris has identified herself as "a conservative Republican, born and raised with Midwestern values as the second child of a stay-at-home mother and a professional chauffeur for over 30 years. We didn't live beyond our means, and from a young age, I was taught the importance of integrity, kindness, helping others but working hard for the things needed to achieve. Those values have guided me throughout my personal and religious life, public service, and professional career," according to her website.

Harris noted that she retired from ComEd after 32 years of dedicated service in the electric utility industry.

"Sunday nights have always been my favorite time of the week. When my children were young, we checked school schedules, finished homework, reviewed lunch menus, prepared clothes, and watched our favorite shows together," Harris shared on Oct. 18 to her Facebook election page. "Today that's all changed but one thing remains the same: planning ahead still makes life easier. Right now, I'm preparing for one very important date: Tuesday, November 3rd; Election Day.

"I want the Secretary of State's office to become a true family serving government office again; one that fits people's real schedules. That means easier access to DMV services, shorter wait times, and more time for Illinois families to enjoy the special moments that matter. So as you plan your week, add one important stop to your calendar: the polls. Make your plan to vote, encourage your family, friends and neighbors. Elect Diane Harris for Secretary of State. I'm excited about the opportunity to serve you. Let's make Election Day special by getting out and voting!"

According to his Illinois Secretary of State, Giannoulias lists all the following items as important aspects of his office:

• Manage one of the state's largest databases, holding more than 2 billion records and keeping track of approximately 9 million drivers, 11 million registered vehicles, and more than 1 million registered business entities.
• Promote safe driving by educating motorists and advocating for laws to reduce distracted and impaired driving.
• Preserve and store more than 75,000 cubic feet of documents and artifacts as the State Archivist and handle more than 28 million requests for information annually.
• Process approximately 789,000 voter registration applications annually through our Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system.
• Issue approximately 600,000 parking placards for persons with disabilities and crack down on the illegal use and abuse of placards.

• Register new businesses and oversee 1 million business entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, and not-for-profit corporations.
• Regulate the investment industry in Illinois, investigating complaints of fraud and registering more than 200,000 securities salespersons and 22,000 investment advisers.
• Maintain the nation's largest Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, with more than 7.5 million registrants.
• Oversee approximately 150 sworn investigators comprising the Secretary of State's police force that secures the Capitol Complex, investigate automobile fraud and thefts, and operate the state's bomb squad unit.
• Coordinate a network of more than 1,800 libraries and, in the last year, awarded more than 1,600 grants to public and school libraries across the state totaling $62 million.