Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said voters have asked her about posts urging people to demand a replacement ballot if a poll worker adds a letter, checkmark, star or party initial. She said a member of Congress had also contacted her to ask whether the claim was true.

Election judges are required to initial ballots before they are placed in a tabulator, Gordon and other officials said. Will County Clerk Annette Parker said the initials help officials identify ballots if they are later challenged or selected for review.

“If the initials are not on there, then that ballot will be disqualified,” Parker said, describing the process for ballots that must be pulled and examined. Her explanation underscores why the presence of an election judge’s initials is part of the process, not evidence that a ballot has been altered improperly.

Gordon said voters should expect false claims to circulate on social media and through text messages before and after Election Day. She urged people to report suspicious claims to election offices rather than forward them. For information about voting locations or possible changes, Cook County voters can check directly with the clerk’s office, including at cookcountyclerk.com/trustedsource.

Gordon also encouraged residents to visit local election operations centers or serve as election judges to see how ballots are handled, including chain-of-custody procedures. She said election officials take their responsibilities seriously, even as public distrust remains a challenge.