Chapter 7. Election Day, While the Polls Are Open, this link opens in a new browser tab.

7.F.3. Cancellation of a Vote by Mail Ballot To Vote In Person

A voter who wishes to vote in person may surrender their Vote by Mail ballot. The Vote by Mail ballot must be surrendered before a new ballot can be issued.

If the voter offers a sealed certification envelope, the Election Judge may ask the voter to open the certification envelope to produce the ballot, or the Election Judge may open the certification envelope themself.

There is no restriction preventing the Election Judge from opening the certification envelope of a surrendered Vote by Mail ballot. The ballot must be produced before it can be canceled.

The Election Judge marks the surrendered Vote by Mail ballot as "SURRENDERED" or "CANCELED" or "SPOILED".

The poll watcher should observe the surrendered ballot being marked.

If the ballot has printing on both sides, the poll watcher should make sure that "SURRENDERED," "CANCELED," or "SPOILED" is written on both sides.

  Rule of Thumb

Before a replacement ballot is issued, the voter's Vote by Mail status in the Illinois voter registration database (E-Poll) should be updated to prevent the original Vote by Mail ballot from also being accepted.

Local procedures vary. In some jurisdictions, the Election Judges update the database themselves. In others, an Election Judge contacts the Election Authority, which updates the database.

The decision to issue a replacement ballot belongs to the Election Judges.

A poll watcher cannot prevent a ballot from being issued or prevent the voter from voting.

Some poll watcher sponsoring organizations question the involvement of the Election Authority in this process because the database update may occur outside the Polling Place and outside the poll watcher's observation.

If instructed by the Poll Watcher Team, the poll watcher may state a challenge or concern for the record. The challenge is documented, the Poll Watcher Team is notified, and the local procedure continues. The challenge does not prevent the replacement ballot from being issued.

Only then can a new ballot be issued.

The poll watcher should continue to observe until the surrendered ballot is placed into the Spoiled Ballot security envelope that will be returned to the Election Authority after the polls close. See: The Four Times a Poll Watcher Is Allowed to See a Ballot, Two. When a Vote by Mail Ballot Is Being Marked "SURRENDERED" or "CANCELED" or "SPOILED", this link opens in a new browser tab.