Illinois Statutes § 5/18-14 Statement of results-Procedure

The judges of election shall make duplicate statements of the result of the canvass, which shall be written or partly written and partly printed. Each of the statements shall contain a caption stating the day on which, and the number of the election precinct and the ward, city and county, in relation to which such statements shall be made, and the time of opening and closing of the polls of such election precinct. It shall also contain a statement showing the whole number of votes given for each person, designating the office for which they were given, which statement shall be written, or partly written and partly printed, in words at length; and in case a proposition of any kind has been submitted to a vote at such election, such statements shall also show the whole number of votes cast for or against such proposition, written out or partly written and partly printed, in words at length, and at the end thereof a certificate that such statement is correct in all respects; which certificate, and each sheet of paper forming part of the statement, shall be subscribed by the judges. If any judge shall decline to sign such return, he shall state his reason therefor in writing, and a copy thereof, signed by himself, shall be enclosed with each return. Each of the statements shall be enclosed in an envelope, which shall then be securely sealed with sealing wax or other adhesive material; and each of the judges shall write his name across every fold at which the envelope, if unfastened, could be opened. One of the envelopes shall be directed to the county clerk and one to the comptroller of the city, or to the officer of such city whose duties correspond with those of comptroller. The judges of election shall make quadruplicate sets of tallies, and each set of tallies shall also be signed by the judges of the election. If, however, the number of established political parties, as defined in Section 10-2, exceeds 2, one additional set of tallies shall be made and signed for each established political party in excess of 2. Each set shall be enclosed in an envelope, securely sealed and signed in like manner; and one of the envelopes shall be directed on the outside to the election commissioners and the other to the city, village or town clerk; the other two envelopes shall be addressed, respectively, to the chairmen of the county central committees of the established political parties. On the outside of every envelope shall be endorsed whether it contains the statements of the votes cast or the tallies, and for what precinct and ward, village or town.

However, in those jurisdictions where electronic voting systems utilizing in-precinct counting equipment are used, one such envelope shall be transmitted to the chair [chairman] of the county central committee of each established political party and 2 such envelopes shall be transmitted to the board of election commissioners.

Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used, the provisions of this section may be modified as required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever is applicable.

At the nonpartisan and consolidated elections, the judges of election shall make a tally sheet and certificate of results for each political subdivision as to which candidates or public questions are on the ballot at such election, except where such votes are to be canvassed by the board of election commissioners or by the city canvassing board provided in Section 22-8. The judges shall sign, seal in a marked envelope and deliver them to the county clerk with the other certificates of results herein required. Such tally sheets and certificates of results may be duplicates of the tally sheet and certificate of results otherwise required by this Section, showing all votes for all candidates and public questions voted for or upon in the precinct, or may be on separate forms prepared by the election authority and showing only those votes cast for candidates and public questions of each such political subdivision.

Within 2 days of delivery of complete returns of the consolidated and nonpartisan elections, the board of election commissioners shall transmit an original, sealed tally sheet and certificate of results from each precinct in its jurisdiction in which candidates or public questions of a political subdivision were on the ballot to the local election official of such political subdivision where a local canvassing board is designated to canvass such votes. Each local election official, within 24 hours of receipt of all of the tally sheets and certificates of results for all precincts in which candidates or public questions of his political subdivision were on the ballot, shall transmit such sealed tally sheets and certificates of results to the canvassing board for that political subdivision.

In the case of referenda for the formation of a political subdivision the tally sheets and certificates of results shall be transmitted by the board of election commissioners to the circuit court that ordered the proposition submitted or to the officials designated by the court to conduct the canvass of votes. In the case of school referenda for which a regional superintendent of schools is responsible for the canvass of votes, the board of election commissioners shall transmit the tally sheets and certificates of results to the regional superintendent.