CHICAGO — The Lake County Election Board Saturday said they will use complaints filed against a Dyer man serving as a deputy election commissioner in November stemming from his actions on Election Day as a teachable moment for election workers.

Five election workers filed complaints in January against Kyle Rizzo, whom they alleged failed to display credentials other than an identification badge before walking up to voting machines and appearing to touch buttons in multiple polling places. After hearing testimony and discussing the matter at length, officials moved to dismiss the complaints and improve training.

Maren Woodlock of Dyer in her testimony before the board said Rizzo entered Protsman Elementary School where she was an inspector for Precinct 10 twice on election day and he did not present any credentials she recognized. The first time he came in and had a general conversation then left.

Typical poll watcher credentials or those issued for individual precincts have two parts. The polling place keeps one part for election records and the individual uses the other part as the credential to access the poll.

Woodlock said at the time poll workers were aware Rizzo was chairman of the Dyer Republican Committee. She said he returned a couple hours later with lunch for his son, who was working at the polling place as an inspector for Precinct 9.

As he proceeded to walk to the back of the room to the Precinct 9 voting machines he started pushing buttons on the voting machines, Woodlock testified.

“I said you are not allowed to touch the machines,” Woodlock said, adding he said he was the chair and had the right to do it. She said he touched all the machines in Precinct 9 and 10. As he walked toward the male inspector standing in front of the Precinct 5, he instead exited the building, she testified.

Woodlock testified he then called the elections office and spoke first to LeAnn Angerman, the Republican deputy director, and Michelle Fajman, the Democratic director, about the situation. She said she was told to document what occurred.

“We are taught in training only two people can touch a machine — an inspector or judge. Other than that nobody else can touch it,” Woodlock said.

Karren Kukral, who worked as a judge in Precinct 8 at Faith Reformed Church in Dyer, recounted a similar experience in her testimony.

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