Chapter 4. Places

4.A. The Campaign Free Zone

4.A.1. Electioneering

4.A.1.f. Police Officers Monitoring Electioneering

In some Polling Places, a uniformed police officer may be assigned. That officer may monitor electioneering violations.

This is not the concern of the poll watcher, UNLESS  the officer prevents a person from registering to vote or from voting.

In that case, the poll watcher cannot take action other than reporting it to an Election Judge and to the poll watcher team.

Like an Election Judge, the police officer may direct a person to continue a political discussion outside the Campaign Free Zone and may also point out the closest restroom so the person can change or cover clothing that is considered electioneering.

See: Police Officers.

Relevant Illinois State Law

No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place, or, at the option of a church or private school, on any of the property of that church or private school that is a polling place; no person shall interrupt, hinder or oppose any voter while approaching within those areas for the purpose of voting. Judges of election shall enforce the provisions of this Section.

10 ILCS 5/17-29

No person shall do any electioneering or soliciting of votes on primary day within any polling place or within one hundred feet of any polling place...

10 ILCS 5/7-41(c)
Primary

Any person who, by force, intimidation, threat, deception or forgery, knowingly prevents any other person from

  • (a) registering to vote, or
  • (b) lawfully voting, supporting or opposing the nomination or election of any person for public office or any public question voted upon at any election,

shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

10 ILCS 5/29-4

Any person who knowingly fails or refuses to comply with any lawful order of an election authority issued by the election authority in the performance of the duties of the election authority, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

10 ILCS 5/29-11

Uniformed police officers assigned to polling place duty shall follow all lawful instructions of the judges of election.

10 ILCS 5/7-34
Primary

10 ILCS 5/17-23
General, municipal, special,
and consolidated elections

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