Article 19A

10 ILCS 5/19A-5 — Issuance of Ballots; Voting Booths.

• (a) If a request is made to vote early by a registered voter in person, the election authority shall issue a ballot for early voting to the voter. The ballot must be voted on the premises of the election authority, except as otherwise provided in this Article, and returned to the election authority.
• (b) On the dates for early voting prescribed in Section 19A-15, each election authority shall provide voting booths, with suitable equipment for voting, on the premises of the election authority and any other early voting polling place for use by registered voters who are issued ballots for early voting in accordance with this Article.
• (c) The election authority must maintain a list for each election of the voters to whom it has issued early ballots. The list must be maintained for each precinct within the election authority's jurisdiction. Before the opening of the polls on election day, the election authority shall deliver to the judges of election in each precinct the list of registered voters who have voted by early ballot.

10 ILCS 5/19A-10 — Permanent Polling Places for Early Voting

• (a) An election authority may establish permanent polling places for early voting by personal appearance at locations throughout the election authority's jurisdiction, including but not limited to a municipal clerk's office, a township clerk's office, a road district clerk's office, or a county or local public agency office. Any person entitled to vote early by personal appearance may do so at any polling place established for early voting.
• (b) (Blank).
• (c) During each general primary and general election, each election authority in a county with a population over 250,000 shall establish at least one permanent polling place for early voting by personal appearance at a location within each of the 3 largest municipalities within its jurisdiction. If any of the 3 largest municipalities is over 80,000, the election authority shall establish at least 2 permanent polling places within the municipality. All population figures shall be determined by the federal census.
• (d) During each general primary and general election, each board of election commissioners established under Article 6 of this Code in any city, village, or incorporated town with a population over 100,000 shall establish at least 2 permanent polling places for early voting by personal appearance. All population figures shall be determined by the federal census.
• (e) During each general primary and general election, each election authority in a county with a population of over 100,000 but under 250,000 persons shall establish at least one permanent polling place for early voting by personal appearance. The location for early voting may be the election authority's main office or another location designated by the election authority. The election authority may designate additional sites for early voting by personal appearance. All population figures shall be determined by the federal census.
• (f) No permanent polling place required by this Section shall be located within 1.5 miles from another permanent polling place required by this Section, unless such permanent polling place is within a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more.

10 ILCS 5/19A-10.5 — Child Sex Offenders

If an election authority designates one or more permanent early voting polling places under this Article, the election authority must designate at least one permanent early voting polling place that a qualified elector who is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 may enter without violating Section 11-9.3 of that Code.

If an election authority designates one or more temporary early voting polling places under this Article, the election authority must designate at least one temporary early voting polling place that a qualified elector who is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 may enter without violating Section 11-9.3 of that Code.

10 ILCS 5/19A-15 — Period & Hours for Permanent Early Voting Polling Places

• (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the period for early voting by personal appearance begins the 40th day preceding a general primary, consolidated primary, consolidated, or general election and extends through the end of the day before election day.
• (b) Except as otherwise provided by this Section, a permanent polling place for early voting must remain open beginning the 15th day before an election through the end of the day before election day during the hours of:

  Regular Weekday Hours

  8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on weekdays,

  Weekday Hours Eight Days Before the Election

  except that beginning 8 days before election day, a permanent polling place for early voting must remain open during the hours of
  8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.,

  Saturday & Holiday Hours Eight Days Before the Election

  and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays,

  Sunday Hours Eight Days Before The Election

  and 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays;

  except that, in addition to the hours required by this subsection, a permanent polling place designated by an election authority under subsections (c), (d), and (e) of Section 19A-10 must remain open for a total of at least 8 hours on any holiday during the early voting period and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend during the early voting period.

• (c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), an election authority may close an early voting polling place if the building in which the polling place is located has been closed by the State or unit of local government in response to a severe weather emergency or other force majeure. The election authority shall notify the State Board of Elections of any closure and shall make reasonable efforts to provide notice to the public of an alternative location for early voting.
• (d) (Blank).

10 ILCS 5/19A-20 — Temporary Branch Polling Places

• (a) In addition to permanent polling places for early voting, the election authority may establish temporary branch polling places for early voting.
• (b) The provisions of subsection (b) of Section 19A-15 do not apply to a temporary polling place. Voting at a temporary branch polling place may be conducted on any one or more days and during any hours within the period for early voting by personal appearance that are determined by the election authority.
• (c) The schedules for conducting voting do not need to be uniform among the temporary branch polling places.
• (d) The legal rights and remedies which inure to the owner or lessor of private property are not impaired or otherwise affected by the leasing of the property for use as a temporary branch polling place for early voting, except to the extent necessary to conduct early voting at that location.
• (e) In a county with a population of:
  • (1) 3,000,000 or more, the election authority in the county shall establish a temporary branch polling place under this Section in the county jail. Only a resident of a county who is in custody at the county jail and who has not been convicted of the offense for which the resident is in custody is eligible to vote at a temporary branch polling place established under this paragraph (1). The temporary branch polling place established under this paragraph (1) shall allow a voter to vote in the same elections that the voter would be entitled to vote in where the voter resides. To the maximum extent feasible, voting booths or screens shall be provided to ensure the privacy of the voter.
  • (2) less than 3,000,000, the sheriff may establish a temporary branch polling place at the county jail. Only a resident of a county who is in custody at the county jail and who has not been convicted of the offense for which the resident is in custody is eligible to vote at a temporary branch polling place established under this paragraph (2). A temporary branch polling place established under this paragraph (2) shall allow a voter to vote in the same elections that the voter would be entitled to vote in where the voter resides. To the maximum extent feasible, voting booths or screens shall be provided to ensure the privacy of the voter.

  Poll Watchers

  All provisions of this Code applicable to pollwatchers shall apply to a temporary branch polling place under this subsection (e), subject to approval from the election authority and the county jail, except that nonpartisan pollwatchers shall be limited to one per division within the jail instead of one per precinct. A county that establishes a temporary branch polling place inside a county jail in accordance with this subsection (e) shall adhere to all requirements of this subsection (e). All requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Sections 203 and 208 of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act shall apply to this subsection (e).

10 ILCS 5/19A-21 — Use of Local Public Buildings for Early Voting Polling Places

Upon request by an election authority, a unit of local government (as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, which does not include school districts) shall make the unit's public buildings within the election authority's jurisdiction available as permanent or temporary early voting polling places without charge. Availability of a building shall include reasonably necessary time before and after the period early voting is conducted at that building.

A unit of local government making its public building available as a permanent or temporary early voting polling place shall ensure that any portion of the building made available is accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters.

10 ILCS 5/19A-25 — Schedule of Locations and Times for Early Voting

• (a) The election authority shall publish during the week before the period for early voting and at least once each week during the period for early voting in a newspaper of general circulation in the election authority's jurisdiction a schedule stating:
  • (1) the location of each permanent and temporary polling place for early voting and the precincts served by each location; and
  • (2) the dates and hours that early voting will be conducted at each location.
• (b) The election authority shall post a copy of the schedule at any office or other location that is to be used as a polling place for early voting. The schedule must be posted continuously for a period beginning not later than the 10th day before the first day of the period for early voting by personal appearance and ending on the last day of that period.
• (c) The election authority must make copies of the schedule available to the public in reasonable quantities without charge during the period of posting.
• (d) If the election authority maintains a website, it shall make the schedule available on its website.
• (e) No additional permanent polling places for early voting may be established after the schedule is published under this Section. Additional temporary locations may be established after the schedule is published, provided that the location is open to all eligible voters. The location, dates, and hours shall be reported to the State Board of Elections and posted on the election authority's website.
• (f) At least 10 days before the period for early voting begins, each election authority shall provide the State Board of Elections with a list of all early voting sites and the hours each site will be open.

10 ILCS 5/19A-25.5 — Voting Machines, Automatic Tabulating Equipment, and Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology Voting Equipment.

• (a) In all jurisdictions in which voting machines are used, the provisions of this Code that are not inconsistent with this Article relating to the furnishing of ballot boxes, printing and furnishing ballots and supplies, the canvassing of ballots, and the making of returns, apply with full force and effect to the extent necessary to make this Article effective, provided that the number of ballots to be printed shall be in the discretion of the election authority, and provided further that early ballots shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.
• (b) If the election authority has adopted the use of automatic tabulating equipment under Article 24A. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, the provisions of Article 24A. this link opens in a new browser tab. shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.
• (c) If the election authority has adopted the use of tabulation optical scan technology voting equipment under Article 24B. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, 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 election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.
• (d) If the election authority has adopted the use of Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems under Article 24C. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, the provisions of Article 24C shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.

10 ILCS 5/19A-30 — Persons Conducting Early Voting

• (a) The election authority
  • (i) must use election judges to conduct early voting at an early voting polling place or
  • (ii) must appoint an employee or, if appropriate, designate a municipal clerk, township clerk, or road district clerk
  to serve as the election official in charge of a polling place for early voting.
• (b) If the election authority uses an employee or designates a municipal, township, or road district clerk under subsection (a), then the election authority may also appoint as many additional election officials as it deems necessary for the proper conduct of the election.

10 ILCS 5/19A-35 — Procedure for Voting

• (a) Not more than 23 days before the start of the election, the county clerk shall make available to the election official conducting early voting by personal appearance a sufficient number of early ballots, envelopes, and printed voting instruction slips for the use of early voters. The election official shall receipt for all ballots received and shall return unused or spoiled ballots at the close of the early voting period to the county clerk and must strictly account for all ballots received. The ballots delivered to the election official must include early ballots for each precinct in the election authority's jurisdiction and must include separate ballots for each political subdivision conducting an election of officers or a referendum at that election.
• (b) In conducting early voting under this Article, the election judge or official is required to verify the signature of the early voter by comparison with the signature on the official registration card, and the judge or official must verify
  • (i) that the applicant is a registered voter,
  • (ii) the precinct in which the applicant is registered, and
  • (iii) the proper ballots of the political subdivision in which the applicant resides and is entitled to vote
  before providing an early ballot to the applicant.

  The election judge or official must verify the applicant's registration from the most recent poll list provided by the election authority, and if the applicant is not listed on that poll list, by telephoning the office of the election authority.

  • (b-5) A person requesting an early voting ballot to whom a vote by mail ballot was issued may vote early if the person submits that vote by mail ballot to the judges of election or official conducting early voting for cancellation. If the voter is unable to submit the vote by mail ballot, it shall be sufficient for the voter to submit to the judges or official
    • (i) a portion of the vote by mail ballot if the vote by mail ballot was torn or mutilated or
    • (ii) an affidavit executed before the judges or official specifying that
      • (A) the voter never received a vote by mail ballot or
      • (B) the voter completed and returned a vote by mail ballot and was informed that the election authority did not receive that vote by mail ballot.
  • (b-10) Within one day after a voter casts an early voting ballot, the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and that information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees.
  • (b-15) Immediately after voting an early ballot, the voter shall be instructed whether the voting equipment accepted or rejected the ballot or identified that ballot as under-voted for a statewide constitutional office.
    • A voter whose ballot is identified as under-voted may return to the voting booth and complete the voting of that ballot.
    • A voter whose early voting ballot is not accepted by the voting equipment may, upon surrendering the ballot, request and vote another early voting ballot.
    • The voter's surrendered ballot shall be initialed by the election judge or official conducting the early voting and handled as provided in the appropriate Article governing the voting equipment used.
• (c) The sealed early ballots in their carrier envelope shall be delivered by the election authority to the central ballot counting location before the close of the polls on the day of the election.

10 ILCS 5/19A-40 — Enclosure of Ballots In Envelope

It is the duty of the election judge or official to fold the ballot or ballots in the manner specified by the statute for folding ballots prior to their deposit in the ballot box, and to enclose the ballot or ballots in an envelope unsealed to be furnished by him or her, which envelope shall bear upon the face thereof the name, official title, and post office address of the election authority, and upon the other side a printed certification in substantially the following form:

If the ballot enclosed is to be voted at a primary election, the certification shall designate the name of the political party with which the voter is affiliated.

In addition to the above, the election authority shall provide printed slips giving full instructions regarding the manner of marking and returning the ballot in order that the same may be counted, and shall furnish one of the printed slips to each of such applicants at the same time the ballot is delivered to him or her. The instructions shall include the following statement: "In signing the certification on the early ballot envelope, you are attesting that you personally marked this early ballot in secret. If you are physically unable to mark the ballot, a friend or relative may assist you. Federal and State laws prohibit your employer, your employer's agent, or an officer or agent of your union from assisting voters with physical disabilities."

In addition to the above, if a ballot to be provided to a voter pursuant to this Section contains a public question described in subsection (b) of Section 28-6 and the territory concerning which the question is to be submitted is not described on the ballot due to the space limitations of the ballot, the election authority shall provide a printed copy of a notice of the public question, which shall include a description of the territory in the manner required by Section 16-7. The notice shall be furnished to the voter at the same time the ballot is delivered to the voter.

10 ILCS 5/19A-45 — Certification

The voter shall make and subscribe the certification provided for on the return envelope of the ballot, and the ballot or ballots shall be folded by the voter in the manner required to be folded before depositing the ballot in the ballot box, and shall be deposited in the envelope and the envelope securely sealed. The voter shall then endorse his or her certificate on the back of the envelope and the envelope shall be returned to the election judge or official conducting the early voting.

10 ILCS 5/19A-50 — Receipt of Ballots

Upon receipt of the voter's ballot, the election judge or official shall enclose the unopened ballot in a large or carrier envelope that shall be securely sealed and endorsed with the name and official title of the election judge or official and the words, "This envelope contains a ballot and must be opened on election day", together with the number and description of the precinct in which the ballot is to be voted, and the election authority shall safely keep the envelope in its office until delivered to the central ballot counting location. The ballots determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which the ballots were opened.

10 ILCS 5/19A-55 — (Repealed)

10 ILCS 5/19A-60 — Poll Watchers

Pollwatchers may be appointed to observe early voting by personal appearance at each permanent and temporary polling place where early voting is conducted. The pollwatchers shall qualify and be appointed in the same manner as provided in Sections 7-34. this link opens in a new browser tab. and 17-23. opens in a new browser tab, except that each candidate, political party, or organization of citizens may appoint only one pollwatcher for each location where early voting by personal appearance is conducted. Pollwatchers must be residents of the State and possess valid pollwatcher credentials.

Pollwatchers shall be permitted to observe all proceedings and view all reasonably requested records relating to the conduct of the early voting, provided the secrecy of the ballot is not impinged, and to station themselves in a position in the voting room as will enable them to observe the judges or election authority personnel making the signature comparison between the voter application and the voter registration record card; provided, however, that the pollwatchers shall not be permitted to station themselves in such close proximity to the judges of election or election authority personnel so as to interfere with the orderly conduct of the voting and shall not, in any event, be permitted to handle voting or election materials. Pollwatchers may challenge for cause the voting qualifications of a person offering to vote and may call to the attention of the judges of election or election authority personnel any incorrect procedure or apparent violations of this Code.

The judges of election or election authority personnel conducting early voting, or a majority of either of these, have the power and authority to hear and determine the legality of an early voting ballot.

10 ILCS 5/19A-65 — Death of Voter Before Opening of Polls

Whenever due proof is made to the judges of election or election authority personnel counting early ballots that any voter who has marked an early ballot as provided in this Article has died before the opening of the polls on the date of the election, the ballot of the deceased voter shall be returned in the same manner provided for rejected ballots; but the casting of the ballot of a deceased voter shall not invalidate the election.

10 ILCS 5/19A-70 — Electioneering

Advertising or campaigning in proximity of polling place; penalty. During the period prescribed in Section 19A-15 for early voting by personal appearance, no advertising pertaining to any candidate or proposition to be voted on may be displayed in or within 100 feet of any polling place used by voters under this Article. No person may engage in electioneering in or within 100 feet of any polling place used by voters under this Article. The provisions of Section 17-29. this link opens in a new browser tab. with respect to establishment of a campaign free zone, including, but not limited to, the provisions for placement of signage on public property beyond the campaign free zone, apply to polling places under this Article.

Any person who violates this Section may be punished for contempt of court.

10 ILCS 5/19A-75 — Early Voting In Jurisdictions Using Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems Under Article 24C

Election authorities that have adopted for use Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems under Article 24C. this link opens in a new browser tab. may either use those voting systems to conduct early voting or, so long as at least one Direct Recording Electronic Voting System device is available at each early voting polling place, use whatever method the election authority uses for vote by mail balloting; provided that no early ballots are counted before the polls close on election day.