Chapter 6. Before the Polls Open

6.K. Find A Chair

6.K.3. What If There Is No Place To Sit?

If the poll watcher is told:

  • To sit in another room, or
  • To sit in the back of the room, or
  • To sit where the poll watcher cannot observe the comparison of signatures, or
  • To sit where the poll watcher cannot see the ballot box/tabulators, voting booths, voting machines, or voter accessibility aids, or
  • That there are not enough chairs, that chairs are missing or restricted, or
  • That the Polling Room is laid out so that there is no room or not enough room for poll watchers.

Immediately contact the poll watcher team. If it is allowed to happen in one Polling Place, it is probably happening in other Polling Places within the Election Authority's jurisdiction.

Find a place where you can see the comparison of signatures and stay there until you receive further instructions from the poll watcher team.

Make sure the poll watcher is not in the way of voters or restricting the Election Judges in their work.

Do not argue with anyone, including Election Judges. Be firm that the poll watcher you has the right by law to be there.

Relevant Illinois State Law

Pollwatchers shall be permitted to observe all proceedings and view all reasonably requested records relating to the conduct of the election, 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 making the signature comparison between the voter application and the voter registration record card; provided, however, that such pollwatchers shall not be permitted to station themselves in such close proximity to the judges of election so as to interfere with the orderly conduct of the election and shall not, in any event, be permitted to handle election materials.

10 ILCS 5/7-34
Primaries.

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

[T]he judges of election shall keep such ballot box constantly in public view during the progress of the election. If any barricade or other obstruction of any kind is, prior to or during such election, interposed, so that all who desire cannot constantly see such ballot box, the judges shall remove such obstruction on request or on their own motion, and if such obstruction is not removed on request, any sheriff or police officer shall remove the same on request. Any court has jurisdiction, on complaint, to issue a warrant to the sheriff of the county to remove such obstruction as a nuisance; and in executing such warrant he may call any person to his assistance, and no other officer of the law or private individual shall interpose or interfere with such removal.

10 ILCS 5/18-3(c)

Pollwatchers as provided by law shall be permitted to closely observe the judges in these procedures and to periodically inspect the equipment when not in use by the voters to see that the ballot labels are in proper position and have not been marked upon or mutilated.

10 ILCS 5/24A-8

Pollwatchers as provided by law shall be permitted to closely observe the judges in these procedures and to periodically inspect the Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology equipment when not in use by the voters.

10 ILCS 5/24B-8

Pollwatchers as provided by law shall be permitted to closely observe the judges in these procedures and to periodically inspect the Direct Recording Electronic Voting System equipment when not in use by the voters.

10 ILCS 5/24C-8

[T]he judges of election shall keep such ballot box constantly in public view during the progress of the election. If any barricade or other obstruction of any kind is, prior to or during such election, interposed, so that all who desire cannot constantly see such ballot box, the judges shall remove such obstruction on request or on their own motion, and if such obstruction is not removed on request, any sheriff or police officer shall remove the same on request. Any court has jurisdiction, on complaint, to issue a warrant to the sheriff of the county to remove such obstruction as a nuisance; and in executing such warrant he may call any person to his assistance, and no other officer of the law or private individual shall interpose or interfere with such removal.

10 ILCS 5/18-3(c)

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