Chapter 7. Election Day, While the Polls Are Open, this link opens in a new browser tab.
7.E. Ballot Application Station, this link opens in a new browser tab.
7.E.4. When a Registered Voter's Name Cannot Be Found In the Voter Rolls
In the Illinois Board of Elections online E-Poll system , an Election Judge can usually locate a registered voter using the first four (4) letters of the voter's last name and the first four (4) letters of the voter's first name.
In some cases, additional steps are needed to locate the voter.
If the voter claims to be registered, but the Election Judge cannot locate the voter in the voter rolls, the poll watcher may state a challenge and observe as the Election Judge searches again for the voter.
Rule of Thumb
When a registered voter cannot be found, there is a simple method to navigate the Illinois Board of Elections online E-Poll system.
Many Election Judges know this hack.
- Clear the screen. There should be a button to clear all entries.
- Enter the street number. You don't have to enter the street name, just the number.
- Enter the first four (4) letters of the last name.
- If needed, enter the first four (4) letters of the first name.
The poll watcher should not immediately offer the hack, but give the Election Judge time to try to find the voter themselves.
7.E.4.a. The Voter is not Not Found
If the voter is still not located on the voter rolls, the voter cannot be issued a ballot until the voter takes further action as provided by law.
At that point, the voter has the option to:
- Check the voter's registration status.
See: Registration Lookup, this link opens in a new browser tab. - Register to vote through Grace Period Registration.
See: Grace Period Registration, this link opens in a new browser tab. - Vote a provisional ballot.
See: Voting A Provisional Ballot, this link opens in a new browser tab.