With more than 30 years of experience working in the office, Green Party Candidate Ann Moeckli believes she has what it takes to be the next Cole County clerk.
Moeckli is facing incumbent Republican Steve Korsmeyer in the Nov. 6 general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the August primary.
The county clerk is the primary election official for the county, overseeing the operations of voting precincts and ensuring accurate vote counts are taken. The clerk's office is also responsible for recording the actions taken during meetings of the County Commission.
Moeckli left the clerk's office in December 2014. Along with her more than 30 years years working there, she also has worked in the county information technology systems, as well as the finance office. Her duties included printing tax bills, helping bring the current recording system for County Commission meetings online, and keeping liquor license records, which the clerk is responsible for maintaining.
While working in the finance office, she helped with payroll and budgeting tasks. As for her work on elections, Moeckli said she was involved in all aspects - from registering voters to being an official observer making sure votes were counted accurately.
When asked why she didn't run as a Democrat or Republican, Moeckli said, "Why not?"
"I didn't want to have to deal with all the August election issues, and I figured Green was the way to go," she said. "The Green Party stands for peace, people and planet over profit. I've been a Democrat and I've been a Republican, but I feel I'm more in the middle, and the Green Party fit me."
If elected, Moeckli said, she hopes to get the younger generation more interested in the voting process.
"It's not like it should be," she said. "I would look into grants, possibly for scholarships. When I worked with former County Clerk Bill Deeken, he had a scholarship every year, and the children who received that would come and work during the elections to see how the process worked.
"I'd also like to see the elected officials, department heads and employees all work together, even helping other offices out," Moeckli added. "When I was working in the office, I would go to other offices and help them out. I've got too much experience not to run."