Illinois Statutes § 5/21-2 Duty to canvass returns and declare winning set of electors

The county clerks of the several counties shall, within 21 days next after holding the election named in subsection (1) of Section 2A-1.2 and Section 2A-2, make 2 copies of the abstract of the votes cast for electors and alternate electors by each political party or group, as indicated by the voter, as aforesaid, by a cross in the square to the left of the bracket aforesaid, or as indicated by a cross in the appropriate place preceding the appellation or title of the particular political party or group, and transmit by mail one of the copies to the office of the State Board of Elections and retain the other in his office, to be sent for by the electoral board in case the other should be mislaid. Within 31 days after the holding of such election, and sooner if all the returns are received by the State Board of Elections, the State Board of Elections shall proceed to open and canvass said election returns and to declare which set of candidates for President and Vice-President received, as aforesaid, the highest number of votes cast at such election as aforesaid; and the electors and alternate electors of that party whose candidates for President and Vice-President received the highest number of votes so cast shall be taken and deemed to be elected as electors and alternate electors of President and Vice-President, but should 2 or more sets of candidates for President and Vice-President be returned with an equal and the highest vote, the State Board of Elections shall cause a notice of the same to be published, which notice shall name some day and place, not less than 5 days from the time of such publication of such notice, upon which the State Board of Elections will decide by lot which of the sets of candidates for President and Vice-President so equal and highest shall be declared to be highest. And upon the day and at the place so appointed in the notice, the board shall so decide by lot and declare which is deemed highest of the sets of candidates for President and Vice-President so equal and highest, thereby determining only that the electors and alternate electors chosen as aforesaid by such candidates' party or group are thereby elected by general ticket to be such electors and alternate electors .