Chapter 10 — The Most Common Challenges.

1.1. Counties Which Allow Voting At Every Polling Place Within That County.

Some counties allow voters to vote at any polling place.

Poll watchers should know if that applies to the county where they are poll watching. Contact your poll watching team if you are unsure.

1.2. In-Precinct Voting On Election Day.

The election judge will determine if that voter's address is within the precinct.

If the voter's address is outside of the precinct, then the election judge will inform the voter of that fact AND give the voter the appropriate telephone number of the election authority who will direct the voter to the correct polling place.

The election judge is required, by law, to give the voter a working telephone number to the election authority (that is: County Clerk's Office or local Board of Elections) who will provide the voter with the location of their polling place.

On Election Day, a second option is that the voter can also vote at a Voting Center, which allows voting for all precincts within a county.

A third option is that a voter requests to vote a provisional ballot.

1.3. The Election Judge Can Give Additional Information.

If the election judge has the information, or is willing and able to look up the information, they are not prohibited from sharing that information with the voter.

Election judges cannot be ordered to refuse to provide additional information, short of a court order.

A poll watcher cannot challenge an election judge for not providing further information beyond the telephone number.

Any further information is IN ADDITION to the telephone number, but not as a substitute for providing the telephone number.

1.4. How A Poll Watcher Can Assist.

A poll watcher can meet the voter outside of the polling room — in order not to disturb the election judges and other voters — and offer to assist the voter.

Remember two things:

• 1. Introduce yourself as a poll watcher. "Hello, I am [first name]. I am a poll watcher not an election judge. Can I help?"
• 2. Do not discuss politics. If you are still within 100 feet of the polling place, you are still under electioneering restrictions.

A poll watcher can provide further information. On Election Day the poll watcher can give the voter the website for the Illinois Polling Place Lookup.

The poll watcher can ask if the voter has their voter registration card? And then tell the voter where on the voter registration card the vote's polling place is listed.

Caution to Poll Watchers

Do NOT ask to see the voter registration card.

A poll watcher does not check ID. Ever.