Article 15
Ballot Boxes and Poll Books
10 ILCS 5/15-1 — Providing Ballot Boxes.
- (a) Except in municipalities operating under Article 6. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Act, the county board shall provide a sufficient number of ballot boxes, with secure locks and keys, at the expense of the county, for the several precincts and districts. There shall be an opening in the top of each box not larger than is sufficient to admit a single closed ballot to be inserted therein at one time, through which each ballot voted shall be put into the box.
- (b) The county board may provide ballot boxes not of a permanent type, not of wooden or metal construction, not requiring locks or keys, nor having doors or windows, if
- (1) such ballot boxes are so constructed as to be completely sealed and empty units upon delivery to the polling place,
- (2) they can be prepared for the inserting and depositing of ballots by the removal of a perforated section in the top of each such ballot box, which removal creates an open slot not larger than is sufficient to admit a single closed ballot to be inserted therein at one time and through which each ballot voted shall be put into the boxes, and
- (3) such ballot boxes contain a perforated door or flap on one side which can be unsealed and opened for removal of the ballots when voting has been completed. No ballot box authorized by this paragraph shall be used on more than one election day.
10 ILCS 5/15-2 — Delivery of Ballot Boxes.
The said ballot boxes shall be delivered to and kept by the judges of election, and by them kept and delivered over to their successors.
10 ILCS 5/15-3 — Provision of Election Materials.
The county clerk shall provide, at the expense of the county, proper blanks, poll books and other necessary election blanks for each precinct and district in his county, and cause a suitable number thereof to be delivered to the judges of election, at least ten (10) days before any election is to be held. The provision for poll books in this section shall not apply where Articles 4. this link opens in a new browser tab., 5. this link opens in a new browser tab. or 6. this link opens in a new browser tab. make provision for the use of an official poll record in lieu of poll books.
10 ILCS 5/15-4 — Board of Elections Election Materials.
- (a) In municipalities operating under Article 6. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Act the Board of Election Commissioners shall provide all necessary ballot boxes and all registration record cards, forms of affidavits, forms of notices, certificates of registered voters, tally sheets, blanks and stationery of every description, with printed headings and certificates, necessary and proper for the registry of voters and the conduct of such elections and for every incidental purpose, connected therewith.
- (b) The Board of Election Commissioners may provide ballot boxes not of a permanent type, not of wooden or metal construction, not requiring locks or keys, nor having doors or windows, if
- (1) such ballot boxes are so constructed as to be completely sealed and empty units upon delivery to the polling place,
- (2) they can be prepared for the inserting and depositing of ballots by the removal of a perforated section in the top of each such ballot box, which removal creates an open slot not larger than is sufficient to admit a single closed ballot to be inserted therein at one time and through which each ballot voted shall be put into the boxes, and
- (3) such ballot boxes contain a perforated door or flap on one side which can be unsealed and opened for removal of the ballots when voting has been completed. No ballot box authorized by this paragraph shall be used on more than one election day.
10 ILCS 5/15-6 — Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology Voting Equipment.
If the election authority has adopted the use of Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology voting equipment pursuant to of this Code, and the provisions of the Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 15. this link opens in a new browser tab., the provisions of Article 24B. this link opens in a new browser tab. shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of elections, and all employees and agents. In following the provisions of Article 24B. this link opens in a new browser tab., the election authority is authorized to develop and implement procedures to fully utilize Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology voting equipment authorized by the State Board of Elections as long as the procedure is not in conflict with either Article 24B. this link opens in a new browser tab. or the administrative rules of the State Board of Elections.
How To Use This Guide.
This is a guide to the Illinois Compiled Statutes Election Code (ILCS) as it regards to poll watchers. Not all election code statutes are included.
This guide is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to Illinois election law; it includes only those sections which are of interest to poll watchers.
The election code is copied verbatim from the ILCS website. There are no changes to the wording of the statutes, but formatting decisions were made which include:
- Changes to the underlying HTML code to make linking more efficient.
- Changes to enhance accessibility.
- Changes may include adding paragraphs in order to make the text more readable. When citing this code, please refer to the original for the correct paragraph number.
- Section headings were added.
- Except for the addition of section headings, no other wording was changed. The content remains the same.
Each page will include when the page was last updated & a link to the original ILCS website for that statute.
This guide will be maintained through the 2024 election cycle. Maintenance of this guide will end on Election Day, November 5, 2024.
Every effort has been made to keep the information up to date.