larryyellen's Blog

In my story Wednesday night regarding the guilty plea of Arnulfo Vallejo, I didn't have time to explain why he claimed he was working as an election judge in two Chicago elections. Mr. Vallejo's attorney told the judge that his client needed the $150 per-day job in order to pay child support. Vallejo's guilty plea means that three convicted sex offenders have now pleaded guilty to working as election judges at polling places in  Chicago schools.The three men were discovered after we disclosed Vallejo's employment last February. The Chicago Board of Elections has suggested that one solution to the problem would be to close schools on election days, but some school officials have balked at the proposal.