Illinois Statutes § 5/13-1 Election judges in counties not under township organization

In counties not under township organization, the county board of commissioners shall at its meeting in July in each even-numbered year appoint in each election precinct 5 capable and discreet persons meeting the qualifications of Section 13-4 to be judges of election. Where neither voting machines nor electronic, mechanical or electric voting systems are used, the county board may, for any precinct with respect to which the board considers such action necessary or desirable in view of the number of voters, and shall for general elections for any precinct containing more than 600 registered voters, appoint in addition to the 5 judges of election a team of 5 tally judges. In such precincts the judges of election shall preside over the election during the hours the polls are open, and the tally judges, with the assistance of the holdover judges designated pursuant to Section 13-6.2, shall count the vote after the closing of the polls. However, the County Board of Commissioners may appoint 3 judges of election to serve in lieu of the 5 judges of election otherwise required by this Section (1) to serve in any emergency referendum, or in any odd-year regular election or in any special primary or special election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress or to nominate candidates for such purpose or (2) if the county board passes an ordinance to reduce the number of judges of election to 3 for primary elections. The tally judges shall possess the same qualifications and shall be appointed in the same manner and with the same division between political parties as is provided for judges of election.

In addition to such precinct judges, the county board of commissioners shall appoint special panels of 3 judges each, who shall possess the same qualifications and shall be appointed in the same manner and with the same division between political parties as is provided for other judges of election. The number of such panels of judges required shall be determined by regulations of the State Board of Elections which shall base the required numbers of special panels on the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction or the number of vote by mail ballots voted at recent elections, or any combination of such factors.

Such appointment shall be confirmed by the court as provided in Section 13-3 of this Article. No more than 3 persons of the same political party shall be appointed judges of the same election precinct or election judge panel. The appointment shall be made in the following manner: The county board of commissioners shall select and approve 3 persons as judges of election in each election precinct from a certified list, furnished by the chair [chairman] of the County Central Committee of the first leading political party in such precinct; and the county board of commissioners shall also select and approve 2 persons as judges of election in each election precinct from a certified list, furnished by the chair [chairman] of the County Central Committee of the second leading political party. However, if only 3 judges of election serve in each election precinct, no more than 2 persons of the same political party shall be judges of election in the same election precinct; and which political party is entitled to 2 judges of election and which political party is entitled to one judge of election shall be determined in the same manner as set forth in the next two preceding sentences with regard to 5 election judges in each precinct. Such certified list shall be filed with the county clerk not less than 10 days before the annual meeting of the county board of commissioners. Such list shall be arranged according to precincts. The chair [chairman] of each county central committee shall, insofar as possible, list persons who reside within the precinct in which they are to serve as judges. However, he may, in his sole discretion, submit the names of persons who reside outside the precinct but within the county embracing the precinct in which they are to serve. He must, however, submit the names of at least 2 residents of the precinct for each precinct in which his party is to have 3 judges and must submit the name of at least one resident of the precinct for each precinct in which his party is to have 2 judges. The county board of commissioners shall acknowledge in writing to each county chair [chairman] the names of all persons submitted on such certified list and the total number of persons listed thereon. If no such list is filed or such list is incomplete (that is, no names or an insufficient number of names are furnished for certain election precincts), the county board of commissioners shall make or complete such list from the names contained in the supplemental list provided for in Section 13-1.1. The election judges shall hold their office for 2 years from their appointment, and until their successors are duly appointed in the manner provided in this Act. The county board of commissioners shall fill all vacancies in the office of judge of election at any time in the manner provided in this Act.