Ethics Spotlight
SHARON STEWARD – Ethics Officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections
Sharon’s responsibility as Ethics Officer involves training and advising 63 employees. She monitors employee compliance with the annual ethics trainings and Statements of Economic Interest filings.
In addition to being the Ethics Officer, Sharon is the Deputy Division Director of Campaign Disclosure for the Illinois State Board of Elections. Sharon has worked for the State Board of Elections for 20 years and she was previously employed by the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.
The mission of the Illinois State Board of Elections is to adopt rules and regulations to clarify and improve the Illinois election process. The Board supervises, inspects and reviews all election and registration processes in the state. It also develops and administers education programs for election authorities, candidates and the general public. The Illinois State Board of Elections prepares and circulates canvasses of primary and general election returns filed with their office. It determines the validity and timely receipt of nominating petitions and certificates of nomination and investigates any election complaints or problems. Staff recommends legislation and keeps apprised of any pending legislation by the Elections Laws Commission and the Illinois General Assembly.
Sharon believes that since the Illinois State Board of Elections is such a small agency and has prohibitions against any type of political activity, she does not encounter many of the ethics issues other agencies deal with. She has received questions about whether certain educational materials may be accepted by the agency and involving what is permitted under the Gift Ban Act.
The Commission salutes Sharon and the other agency Ethics Officers for their hard work and dedication to improving the ethical climate in the State of Illinois.